People can depend on the Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) not just for navigating the regulatory systems, but also for services that will actually help people start and operate a small business.

There are many prerequisites to open a business in Washington and for people whose first language is not English, the endeavor can be particularly difficult—especially when the official website dedicated to providing such services is solely in English.

ORIA does, however, provide different language translations of their “Small Business Guide” in Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese and Spanish, which offers professional steps, and lists of workshops for those who are interested in learning more about how to start or run a small business.

Take the “Small Business Guide” as the entrepreneur’s handbook on how to launch a business; from identifying one’s potential customers to drawing up promotional and operational plans.

Resources in the guide include: Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Center, Veterans Business Outreach Center, etc.

In addition to training, the guide helps aspiring business owners to determine the company’s type of management, type of liability, registration requirements, and other considerations.

The “Small Business Guide” asks questions such as, “Have you prepared a business plan,” “Are you buying an existing business?” or “Will your business name appeal to your potential customers?” to help a budding company move forward.

The guide goes beyond the formation of a business; it also explains how to file federal wage and tax statements, and other payroll-related matters.

ORIA’s main role is to help current small business owners and future entrepreneurs navigate the environment of permit processing through innovation.

There are ORIA offices located in Spokane, Yakima, Bellevue, and Olympia. For further information regarding the “Small Business Guide,” ORIA recommends contacting the Small Business Liaisons at (360) 725-0628 or (800) 917-0043.