Red tape. An infamous phrase in the business community to describe bureaucratic processes that grind commerce to halt. When a business is starting up or considering relocation, the required procedures and regulations can overwhelm potential profit and smother economic growth.
A recent article from Forbes highlights the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2016 report, which assesses global economies’ regulatory efficiencies. In this report, the United States was ranked seventh in the world, a steep drop from its previous position of fourth just five years prior. Fast forward four years, and The 2020 Ease of Doing Business report reflects a nation working toward more effective regulations with a short rise to the sixth spot. Economies ranked in the top 20 on the report have electronic tax filing platforms, online incorporation procedures, and a high level of transparency. Certainly, rules safeguard our environment, protect future employees, and keep consumers safe, but the better we can streamline the process of building business, the easier we can match our fast-passed technological world.
When launching a startup, entrepreneurs must determine a legal structure, which will dictate registration requirements, catalogue the business, procure state and federal tax identification numbers, and complete the legal permits and licenses needed to operate. Additional licensing is required to break ground on a new parcel of land, and a Zoning Board of Appeals must review a variance application. Depending on an entrepreneur’s business sector, special permitting might also be required. Though this process seems extensive, it is easier when municipalities offer guidance and structure, supporting the potential business partner.
One of the ways the Town of Mansfield supports startups and companies interested in relocating is by offering a comprehensive guide, organized by business sector, including a flow chart of each process. Lines of communication are kept open at all times, decreasing friction between business and government through effective collaboration, as we work toward a common goal of strengthening the local economy.
The Town of Mansfield is open for business, welcoming economic development with several additional benefits of calling this community home:
- Transparent cooperation between business leaders and town administrators
- Step-by-step directions for documentation needed throughout the process, when, and why
- Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) to allow state tax credit and local property tax incentives
- Sites pre-permitted for biotechnology and manufacturing use for partners in the life sciences sector
- Direct point of contact dedicated to assisting biotech projects
- Gold BioReady® rating from MassBio indicating a municipality that has adopted local policies to pave a pathway for new construction or renovation of laboratory and biotech manufacturing facilities
If you’re interested in relocating or starting your business in the Town of Mansfield, we want to meet you. Schedule an appointment at the Town Hall to review the next steps. We hope to partner with your brand and work together toward a bright future.