LOWELL – Entrepreneurs face a maze of local, state and federal regulations. To help Lowell’s entrepreneurs start and grow their companies, Pioneer Institute, in collaboration with the City of Lowell, is presenting Navigating Through Regulations and Licensing Requirements in Lowell, a step-by-step guide to government regulations for small business.

“What a great asset for start-up entrepreneurs,” Lowell City Manager Bernard F. Lynch said. “This guide helps government help local businesses. Give them room to grow and our whole economy gets a boost. It’s a win-win situation.”

The new Lowell guide, produced by Pioneer Institute’s Center for Economic Opportunity, will be presented in conjunction with the City of Lowell at a press conference on April 10th at 3:00 pm at the Mayor’s Reception Room on second floor of City Hall, 375 Merrimack Street. The City Manager will be joined by Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios, Assistant City Manager/Department of Planning & Development Director J. Matthew Coggins and Russ Smith, Director of the Lowell Small Business Development Center.

Navigating Through Regulations and Licensing Requirements clarifies the regulatory requirements for 20 different types of businesses, from hair salons to auto body shops. Complex local, state and federal requirements are presented in a logical, concise way.  Navigating also includes a comprehensive list of resources for business owners to help them start or expand their company and hire new employees.

“Small businesses form the roots of the urban economy,” said Pioneer Director Stergios. “Are cities doing enough to help them grow? Too often, government regulation is perceived to be a real obstacle. Lowell is changing that perception by making it easier for small business to expand.”

The Lowell Guide is the latest in a series that includes Boston, Lawrence, Quincy, Worcester, Springfield, Brockton, and Fall River. The Guide series is part of Pioneer’s Center for Economic Opportunity’s Middle Cities Initiative, which promotes the revitalization of Massachusetts’ cities. The Initiative focuses on education, public safety, effective management, economic development and business creation in the Commonwealth’s urban centers. 

The Guide is presented in partnership with the City of Lowell Division of Planning and Development and was produced by Pioneer with support from the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation. It will be available at various business resources centers, and through the Pioneer Institute and the City of Lowell websites.

Pioneer Institute is a non-partisan public policy organization that seeks to enhance the quality of policy debate in Massachusetts through the support, distribution, and promotion of original research on issues of urgent public concern.