ROCKLAND — Rockland City Council voted unanimously July 6 to participate in the federal government’s Startup in a Day initiative.  Rockland was invited by the Small Business Administration to be the first municipality in Maine to participate in this initiative, which commits the city to making it easier for entrepreneurs to start a business. It is to do this by reducing the amount of time it takes to register and apply for permits and licenses on the local level.  
The SBA chose Rockland, due, it said in a news release, to its successful small businesses, such as Loyal Biscuit and Bixby & Co.  Loyal Biscuit won the Maine Small Business Person of the year for 2014. Bixby and Co. won the 2014 New England Young Entrepreneur of the Year.   
Participation in this initiative involves the following:

1. Taking a pledge to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start a business by committing to develop a single online tool for all the licenses and permits they need in order to responsibly launch a business.
2. Taking part in the Start Up in a Day competition that awards prizes of up to $50,000 to support the development, implementation, and improvement of online tools.  It will also let entrepreneurs learn about the business startup process in their area, including how to register and apply for all required local licenses and permits, in one day or less. 

The City Council’s decision to participate in the Startup in a Day initiative coincides with plans to move forward with upgrading the city’s IT infrastructure and municipal website.