Ohio Posts Record New-Business Filings in 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio – With nearly 90,000 filings received by the office of secretary of state, 2013 marked another record year for new entities filing to do business in Ohio.
The 89,735 filings received surpass 2012's total of 88,068.
New business filings are classified as forms filed with the Ohio Secretary of State that declare the formation of a business entity -- for-profit, nonprofit and professional corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships, says Secretary of State Jon Husted.
“We have cut processing times and, with our new online system, in many cases you can start a business 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Husted said in a prepared statement. "When you make it easier to do business in Ohio, more people choose Ohio. We are improving Ohio’s business climate by continuing to roll out the red carpet and cut the red tape.”
Launched in October 2013, the state's new online system enables customers to file the most frequently used forms online. This new service allows for easier access, which reduces processing times and streamlines the administrative process. To date, more than 3,500 filings have been received via Ohio Business Central, Husted reports.
Despite the record filings and continued improvement of services offered to businesses, the office is doing it all with less, Husted says. Since taking office, the secretary has reduced his staff 25% from nearly 200 employees to fewer than 150. Fiscal 2013 marked the lowest payroll spending in six years, Husted points out.
As part of the overall record number of filings for last year, December 2013 had 6,941 new entities file to do business, just slightly less than the 6,967 filings in December 2012.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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