May 2, 2002

Small Business Web Site Wins Innovations Award

Idaho Small Business Solutions, a Web site for small business owners, has been named the winner of an Innovations Award from the Council of State Governments.

The site, www.idahobizhelp.org, is one of only eight national winners chosen from more than 350 entries. The Web site was developed by the RIB (Reducing Idaho’s Bureaucracy) Committee in collaboration with the Idaho Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) hosted at Boise State University.

“Such innovative Web sites as Small Business Solutions make government more fiscally responsible and accessible to the citizen,” said Pam Ahrens, chairman of Idaho’s Information Technology Resource Management Council and director of the Idaho Department of Administration.

Marguerite Mason, small business solutions project manager and director of research and training for the ISBDC, accepted the award at an April 30 award ceremony.

Visitors to the Web site can use a “Business Wizard” feature to get a list of government requirements tailored to their business. About a third of the 3,000 monthly user visits occur during evenings and weekends, when agencies are closed, allowing business owners to get customized information at their convenience.

Development of the site was funded by a grant from USDA Rural Development. The Idaho Department of Administration hosts the Web site on its server.