Los Angeles works out new approach to Web: city rounds up portals to create one-stop,...

THE complexity of navigating across Web pages can tax even the most resourceful among us.

Last year, during the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Access City Hall event, one chamber member complained that even though he has a master's degree and fluency in several languages, it

So, this month, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled a one-stop Web site for businesses in L.A., called Los Angeles Business Solutions. The site consolidates all of the business-related portals on the city's Internet site. The address is www.business.lacity.org.

"Making Los Angeles business-friendly is a top priority," Villaraigosa said in a statement. "Business owners don't necessarily work 9 to 5 and they don't have time to drive around town picking up forms. We're making it easier so that business owners can focus on managing and growing their business."

Once at the site, entrepreneurs looking to launch an enterprise can link to "Ten Key Steps to Starting a Business." There are also links to file business taxes, film permits, find city contracts to bid on, or find zoning and planning information for a specific address.

A business owner can also find out what local, state and federal incentives they might be eligible for. And the site has links to the mayor's Business Team and the office of international trade.

The L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed the site. A chamber statement said that many of its members had previously expressed frustrations with no centralized location for business licensing, contracting and tax information.

Staff reporter Howard Fine can be reached at hfine@labusinessjournal.com or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 227.