If you’re opening a new business in Prince William, you might be a JOE

It hasn’t always been easy for small business owners to set up shop in Prince William County.

From zoning rules to code enforcement, small shop owners have long been at a disadvantage when compared to large developers who have teams of lawyers who know the ins and outs of building development.

The issues small business owners face are different than their larger counterparts and more varied, as many must have approved tenant layout plans or floor plans for the modification of older buildings, scheduling a building inspection, down to finding out whether or not their type of business is permitted is even allowed in the neighborhood.

For many who’ve already signed a lease, unfortunately, that part comes too late.

This year, the Board of Supervisors spent $398,000 on a new Small Business Initiative in the county’s Development Services office. Three new employees were hired and tasked with making it easier for small business owners (those with 30 or fewer employees) to open.

Serving as caseworkers, the three caseworkers partner with entrepreneurs and become the one person who will hold their hand through the planning and permitting process.

“We asked for feedback, and one of the most common things we heard was ‘why don’t you have the same person on the job to walk us through it,'” said Development Services Director Wade Hugh. “Unlike large businesses, small business owners typically move into one space and stay there for the life of their business. We only have one shot to get this right.”

The Small Business Initiative is divided into three categories:

1. Business owners moving into an existing building
2. Business owners making changes to existing buildings
3. Business owners constructing new buildings

At the start of the process, caseworkers determine which category in which the entrepreneur belongs. Once determined, the entrepreneur is sent to a series of meetings within the Development Services Building at 5 County Complex in Woodbridge, starting with the county’s geographic information system office to ensure the business address is correct.

Then it’s onto zoning to review the type of business and location to ensure that business type is permitted in the neighborhood. Finally, the entrepreneur has a one-on-one meeting with a with a caseworker who can answer questions and guide them through the next steps in the process.

Entrepreneurs occupying existing buildings may qualify for the new Joint Occupancy Evaluation (JOE) program, designed to expedite the permitting process for small business owners. Those who move into an existing space, and are not making modifications to the building could leave Hugh’s office with a permit in about an hour, he said.

For those making changes to the structure, the business owner must submit a tenant layout plan, and a follow-up inspection is required, usually, within five to seven days, he adds. If there are no issues following the inspection, the permit is issued.  The inspection and the timeframe its carried out is the same for shop owners opening a store in an older structure for which the county has no updated records.

The process for new building construction will take longer, and these types of cases won’t be eligible for the JOE program.

Since the small business initiative got up and running in earnest in October, small business caseworkers processed a total of 62 new cases between October 15 and November 21, and have moved 37 of them through the JOE process. Just two projects have been withdrawn, said Hugh.

The small business initiative comes as county statistics show 98% of inspections are carried out on the day they were scheduled. If there are any issues, about 80% are moved to court and resolved within the first 100 days. That’s up from 60% just three years ago.

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors in its 2017 – 2020 strategic plan set a “moonshot” goal of increasing commercial tax revenues from 14 percent to 30 percent, identifying new commercial development as key to achieving the goal.

Issuing building permits is nothing new for the Development Services office. This new process, however, is, after since county officials identified a need to improve it. In the past, there were many inconsistencies with the process and the department was shrouded in a negative light.

“We’re still digging out,” said Hugh.

One of the most important things a small business owner can do before signing a lease is to contact the Development Services office to find out if their business is permitted to open in the neighborhood in which they’re opening. There are no fees to research the question, and answers are usually provided within two to three days.

“Call us before you sign the lease,” said Hugh.