Mayor Edwin M. Lee today launched the San Francisco Business Portal, a new comprehensive web tool that brings together the complex information surrounding business registration, permits, and licenses in a single user-friendly City website.

“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our City’s economy, and helping them succeed is a priority because when they succeed, the City succeeds,” said Mayor Lee. “The San Francisco Business Portal puts our small businesses first by bringing together all the information a small business owner needs to start, stay, and grow in San Francisco. This is the first step in streamlining the City’s permit process and make it easier for small business owners to do business in San Francisco.”

“The Business Portal is the most comprehensive and user-friendly City website ever developed for San Francisco businesses,” said Supervisor Katy Tang, a key supporter of the project. “I look forward to supporting future phases of this program so that government can be more responsive and effective to the needs of residents and entrepreneurs.”

“The Business Portal is an unprecedented resource for our small businesses because it breaks down a complex process in a way anyone can understand,” said Small Business Commission President Stephen Adams. “The small business community asked the City to make the process easier and Mayor Lee has delivered with the Business Portal.”

“The many rules and regulations around business registration and permits can be so confusing, even for an established business,” said Marty Sanchez, an owner of the family-owned local tortilla and salsa manufacturer Casa Sanchez.“The Portal makes it much easier.”

The Business Portal consolidates information on more than 400 permits and licenses available to small businesses. Some examples of forms that are accessible in the Business Portal include the Business Registration form from the Treasurer and Tax Collector required of every business, the Permit to Operate from the Department of Public Health for all restaurants, and the Dog Walking permit from Animal Care and Control for any dog walker with four or more dogs.

The Business Portal also provides step-by-step starter guides for small businesses that want to start in San Francisco. Created by an interagency team in close collaboration with a dozen departments across the City, the Business Portal was designed based on in-depth research with business owners at different stages of the business life cycle.

A joint project of the Department of Technology, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and Office of Small Business in partnership with the design firm Tomorrow Partners, San Francisco Business Portal advances Mayor Lee’s goal of using technology to make government more responsive and effective to the needs of residents and entrepreneurs.

“Clear, user-friendly and easy to navigate – it helped me find the answers to all my business-related questions,” said Everest Waterproofing and Restoration Inc. President Keith Goldstein. “The whole site is very intuitive.”  

The Business Portal is only the first step to improving the small business experience in San Francisco. Future phases will add functionality to the Business Portal and begin to streamline the business permit and license process.

“The Portal is a great resource for deaf business owners now that everything is online,” said Melody Stein, Owner of Mozzeria, a deaf-owned pizzeria with an all deaf staff. “I love how it’s basically a one stop shop for business, from foundation to rooftop and everything in between. It cuts down on the wondering and gives you all the information that you weren’t sure about, or maybe were not even aware of.”

To access the San Francisco Business Portal, go to: businessportal.sfgov.org.