ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) unveiled Maryland Business Express, a new website that will make it easier for Maryland’s small business owners and entrepreneurs to plan, start, manage, and grow their business.
Accessible at businessexpress.maryland.gov, the new site combines information previously spread across many state agencies into one, easy-to-navigate site, while also providing a clear outline of the steps involved in starting a business.
Maryland Business Express also features a digital assistant designed to communicate with and deliver guidance to Marylanders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This “Chatbot” is the first of its kind to be used by any state government specifically for business purposes.
The site’s layout is based on the questions most commonly asked by existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, and contains four main sections: Plan, Start, Manage, and Grow.
The Plan and Start sections list orderly steps that guide entrepreneurs through the process of developing a business plan, registering a business and applying for tax accounts and licenses. The Manage and Grow sections help business owners remain in good standing, make legal changes to their business, and find additional programs that best fit their needs.
“Our Department’s goal is to allow Marylanders to interact with the state any time it’s convenient for them, and the new Maryland Business Express will move us closer to that goal than ever before,” said SDAT Director Michael Higgs. “This new website will be a tremendous benefit to Maryland’s business community, and the feedback we receive will allow us to continually update content to better suit their needs.”