MADISON – Today, State Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa), Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), Rep. Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay), Rep. Samba Baldeh (D-Madison), State Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison), and Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) re-introduced a bill to create an online portal for Wisconsinites to access information related to starting, maintaining, and growing a small business. This website aims to be an easy to use “one-stop opportunity shop” for anyone in Wisconsin interested in creating a new business, and for current business owners who want a more streamlined process with state agencies. Rep. Vining released the following statement in regards to this legislation:
“As a small business owner, and from my conversations in the community about the difficulties small business owners face, I understand what it takes to start and run your own business from the ground up. Right now, the state has different resources to make it easier for business owners, but the information is not centralized. This bill creates a convenient one-stop opportunity shop that reflects the diverse needs of Wisconsin small business owners.
“In 2020, 99.4% of businesses in Wisconsin were small businesses. Over 15,000 net new jobs were created by small businesses in 2019, and over 85% of these jobs were created by companies with less than 20 employees. Wisconsin is a small business state!
“From the dedicated entrepreneurs in the Driftless Region, to the hustling urban Milwaukee restaurateurs, and the nursing suburban mothers juggling a new business during naptime and late into the night, everyone deserves a chance to follow their dreams with more ease and opportunity than small business owners face right now.”
