MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Governor Dannel Malloy has signed a bill into law establishing a small business hotline to support interactions between entrepreneurs and the state.

It was created out of a need to help small business owners, who according to a Babson College study, spend on average 200 hours a year dealing with government rules and regulations. The small business hotline is designed to cut down that time by serving as a ‘one-stop-shop’ to find answers to questions surrounding government red tape.

Brett Broesdor, the co-founder and vice president of Campaign for Tomorrow’s Jobs says, “when small businesses succeed, it’s not just our economy that gets stronger; it’s our families and communities. It’s a win-win for Connecticut.”

The new law requires the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) commissioner to establish and operate a hotline that provides individualized information and guidance to entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state on how to start and develop a business, identify networking resources, and access technical and financial assistance from state and quasi-public agencies. The commissioner may establish, manage, and staff the hotline in collaboration with a nonprofit organization, according to Connecticut’s Office of Legislative Research.

Also, the DECD commissioner must submit a report on the hotline’s operation to the Commerce Committee by January 1, 2019. The report must describe the hotline’s services and how it is advertised, summarize the most common types of assistance entrepreneurs and small businesses request, and provide statistics on the hotline’s call volume.

The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2017. To read more about the new law, click here: http://bit.ly/2m2mIvt.