The Prince William Board of County Supervisors recently saw a staff presentation on the Small Business Project Management program (SBPM), which is aimed at helping small businesses obtain permits more efficiently.

The Prince William County Department of Development Services created its Commercial Project Management Program in 2013 to help businesses through the permitting process. The program designates a project manager dedicated to working one-on-one with business owners to help streamline the process.

The program, aimed at beginning work with business owners early, helps to get customers assistance in working with multiple agencies across the county that include the Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office, Department of Transportation, Public Works, GIS and the Prince William County Service Authority.

In 2018, Development Services enhanced the program to place a focus on small businesses. At that time, the Board authorized three Project Managers for the SBPM program, which has served 1,787 small businesses that have opened since 2018 and engaged with more than 2,000 total small businesses since 2018.

The program is the foundation for the partnership approach to customer service, which immediately helps customers determine project objectives from early in the process to the opening date. The partnership between the multiple agencies allows the county to speak with one voice to provide the customer with consistent, timely feedback and direction. Development Services offers small business customers a meeting room for one-on-one support. The support lays out the steps customers must take on the path for the approval they will need to open their business. 

Qualifications for the SBPM include owners who are managing their own projects and businesses with 35 or fewer employees. National chains do not qualify for the program.

The SBPM also works to help customers learn if the businesses they dream of creating fit with authorized uses and zoning. A call to the project manager can identify any hurdles they might face with subsequent permits or determine who to call before they sign a lease for the property.

“We want to be at the forefront, so we can help the business owner work through and understand that that the project management team is there as a resource early on in their project, which would help our team identify early on and not just when issues arise,” said Mandi Spina, Development Services Acting Director. “It is really the early identification of issues so that we can sit down and work together as a team to look at the end result of the project. We’re looking at really working to building those relationships.”

Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter praised the program and said helping small businesses helps the county.

“Small businesses are the backbone of a community. The SBPM is a great program that assists small businesses, which ultimately helps to create local jobs, helps the local economy and helps the Prince William community at large thrive and prosper,” Shorter said.

More information about Development Services and the Small Business Project Management program can be found at pwcva.gov/dds.