TALK TO most any small business owner in Nova Scotia about what it was like to first open their business and you’ll likely be treated to a story that begins and ends with the words "red tape."

Up to this point, starting a business can be like finding your way through a maze. And unlike the ones farmers set up in their fields, the setting-up-a-business maze is no fun. Not at all. There are forms that need to be filled out, permits and licences to be applied for and inspections to be done all before a business can open its doors when the real work begins.

Until today, this work has rested squarely on the shoulders of the business owner. They had to do all of legwork to find out what’s required of them at each of the three levels of government. Not only can this be very costly, it can also be time-consuming and extremely frustrating. And if they don’t get it right, watch out.

Now the good news. From this day forward, the maze will be a little easier to wade through in two of Nova Scotia’s municipalities: New Glasgow and Halifax Regional Municipality. And it’s all due to a little something called BizPal.

An online system that provides one-stop access to permit and licence information at all levels of government, BizPal takes some of the guesswork and legwork out of opening a business. So rather than trying to pull the information business owners need out of government, government pushes it to them...

See the full story at http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Business/850449.html