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City of Detroit encourages more small businesses with easier processes, elimination of some licensing fees
FOR RELEASE: November 24, 2021
Media Contact: Georgette C R Johnson
Cell: 313-402-6872
Email: [email protected]
City of Detroit encourages more small businesses with easier processes, elimination of some licensing fees
- Council last week approved BSEED recommendation to eliminate licensing requirement for more than 30 types of small businesses
- City creates “virtual concierge” to streamline licensing process
- BSEED launches a robust improvement plan with more proactive communications with business owners
Detroit – The City of Detroit last week made several major moves in its ongoing efforts to improve the climate for small businesses to open within its borders. During its final marathon session of the year, City Council approved the recommendation of the Buildings Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department’s (BSEED) recommendation to discontinue 34 types of previously required small business licenses. The elimination of these licenses will eliminate fees and allow the city to be competitive with other cities in the region.
Among the licenses no longer required are those for bowling alleys, house rental agencies, landscape gardener, pet shop, vending machines, sightseeing buses and more. Fees for such licenses can cost hundreds of dollars and add weeks to the time it takes to establish a business in the city.
“Having fewer requirements for certain small businesses owners to operate in the City of Detroit will eliminate potential barriers of entry,” said David Bell, director of BSEED. “Our goal is to make it easier to do business in the City of Detroit while ensuring compliance and health and safety guidelines are still followed.”
Bell pointed out that requirements will remain in place for another 42 businesses for reasons of health, safety and consumer protections. Some of those include tattoo/body art, shooting gallery, concert & public dance halls, junkyard dealers and more.
Virtual Concierge
BSEED has also launched a “virtual concierge’ for business owners to manage their entire business licensing process in a central location and potentially in one session. Business owners have access to specific requirements for each license including documents, clearances, and fees. There are direct connection links to different departments, when and where needed, during the application process.
The business licensing platform also serves as a communication tool by notifying City clearing departments when a license renewal is due and allows business owners to review the status of each required clearance, including delinquencies and denials. The platform will notify business owners of any failed inspections and license expiration dates at 45 and 15 days prior to necessary filing.
“Communication is key, and we have one source of information that’s streamlined; and all clearing departments as well as business owners now reference that single source,’ said Bell. “We must be competitive with the surrounding municipalities and remove archaic roadblocks to economic success for the City and small business.”
The moves follow others made by BSEED in recent years, including a move from paper-based site plan review to digital online, as well as a redesign of its public offices to help guide visitors seeking services to the right area, based on whether they need help with permitting, licensing, plan review or other BSSEED services.
Below is a full list of eliminated and continued business licenses
The following are licenses to be discontinued:
Archery Gallery/School
Auctioneer
Baseball Batting Net
Beverage Retail
Bowling Alley
Branch Candy/Vending Machines
Coin-Operated Game Distributor
Dance Studio
Dry Cleaning:
Laundering Plant
Branch Store
Ind. Agency (Drop-off)
Ind. Driver
Ind. Plant (Carpet Cleaner)
Furniture Mover
Garbage Rubbish Collector
General Food (Pre-Packaged)
Golf Range
Hall:
Taxi Dance
House Rental Agency
Instructional Services
Junk Collector (Street)
Landscape Gardener
Laundry Self Service
Location Permit (Coin-op Game)
Motor Bus
Motorcycle Rental Establishment
Pet Shop (Equipment/Supplies)
Sightseeing Bus
Snow Removal (Street/Sidewalk)
Storage House - Public Branch
Track (Bicycle/Go Cart,etc)
Trailer Rental Lot
Trampoline
Vending Machines
The 42 licenses remain part of City code and are required due to health, safety, and consumer protection.
Amusement Park (5 Devices or more)
Arcade
Bar/Class C
Bathhouse
Billiard Room & Tables
Cabaret A-B-C
Carnival
Cigarette Retail
Circus (Indoor/outdoor)
Concert Cafe (Entertainment/Food)
Gas Station (Full/Self Service)
Hall:
Concert/Rental
Public Dance (2 AM/4 AM Closing)
Horse Drawn Carriage & Driver
Hotel
Industrial Catering
Junk Yard Dealer
Massage Parlor/School
Marijuana Facilities
Motor Truck Permit
Motor Vehicle for Hire (Limousines)
Parking Lot
Public Lodging
Pawnbroker
Pet Shop (Live Animals)
Restaurant Standard/Carry-Out
Restaurant w/Classic C (MLCC)
Rickshaw/Peddle Cab
Riding Devices (Carnival Rides)
Rink Skating (Indoor/Outdoor)
Rooming House (11 Rooms or More)
Sexually Oriented Business
Scrap Iron & Metal Processor
Secondhand Store/Jewelry/Tires
Shelter
Shooting Gallery
Sports Stadium
Tattoo/Body Art
Theatre:
Burlesque/Stage
Motion Picture (Adult)
Used Auto Dealer (Parts/Wrecking)
Valet
Vendors
For more information, visit BSEED at https://detroitmi.gov/license
BSEED creates safe environments for City residents. The BSEED mission is to provide for the safety, health and welfare of the general public as it pertains to buildings and their environs in an efficient, cost effective, user friendly and professional manner.
BSEED enforces construction, property maintenance, environmental compliance and zoning codes, which preserve and enhance property values and promote a quality of life to make Detroit a preferred place to reside and conduct business.
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