Secretary of State Mac Warner is pleased to announce the results of a survey completed by new customers who recently registered their business with the Office’s Business & Licensing Division.
The survey was designed to provide honest, anonymous feedback, and to solicit ideas and concerns about the website or services offered to business owners and agents. The complete results of the Business Registration Survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-QK9ZSDBV/.
The survey received 311 total responses. Of those, 67.2 percent filed their registration online, rather than in person, by mail, email or fax. Additionally, 30.67 percent used the WVSOS New Business Startup Wizard to assist them in determining which business entity to register as.
Notable results of the survey include:
- 85.23 percent indicated that they were satisfied with the business registration experience
- 74.5 percent indicated that it was easy to complete the registration process
- 81.52 percent of those who used the Startup Wizard said it was useful
- 96.29 percent indicated that WVSOS staff was friendly and helpful
“The opinions, ideas and concerns of the businesses we serve are very important to us,” Warner said. “As we move to online business registration and Annual Report filing, we must pay close attention to our customers and continue to improve our services and other offerings. It is our goal to make West Virginia the most efficient State in the nation for opening and operating a new business.”
Over the past two years, the Secretary of State’s Office has made major improvements to its services to make it easier for customers around the State to register new businesses online. In addition, the redesigned website makes it easier for the state’s 117,000 current business organizations to file Annual Reports and other official documents online.
These improvements also include the addition of the One Stop Business Center – the only four-agency, single-location business and licensing center in the nation. The WV One Stop is a joint operations center that includes representatives from the Secretary of State’s Office, the State Tax Department, the Division of Labor and Workforce-WV.
Another exciting improvement is the web-based WV One Stop Business Portal, located online at business4wv.gov, where users can register a new business, access the Business Startup Wizard, and identify resources and support for starting a new business in West Virginia.
Any current business owner or any entrepreneur interested in starting a new business is encouraged to visit the Secretary of State’s website at business4wv.gov or to call the Business and Licensing Division at 304-558-8000. Veterans and young entrepreneurs (30 and under) who are interested in starting a new business should also reach out to learn more about special programs and incentives approved by the legislature.
