OpenCounter, Which Started Making it Easier to Get Permits in Santa Cruz Goes National

This Santa Cruz startup was born out of the problem people were having navigating the permit process in the city, which earned it a reputation for being unfriendly to business.

According to this article in Government Technology: "OpenCounter’s Co-founder Peter Koht, a self-described civics nerd who was formerly the economic development coordinator for Santa Cruz, Calif., said the service, while a helpful tool to cutting workloads, offers the primary benefit of reducing the hurdles entrepreneurs must pass over to launch companies. Indirectly, he said, this increased small business activity can translate into greater tax revenues for cities."

Making the planning department's counters available 24 hours online has big potential for this Santa Cruz company.