How to keep up with law changes for your business

Know who makes the rules for your business

A typical small business answers to several layers of government at once. Your city or town sets business license rules, local fees, and zoning. Your county may add its own sales tax and health permits. Your state sets sales tax, minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and professional licensing. Industry regulators, like a state board of cosmetology or contractors board, add rules of their own.

Write down each body that applies to you. That short list is what you need to watch.

Where changes are announced

• City council and county commission meeting agendas, usually posted on the government website a few days before each meeting.
• Your state department of revenue, which publishes notices of sales and use tax rate changes before they take effect.
• Your state labor department, for minimum wage, overtime, and required workplace posters.
• Licensing boards and permit offices, for renewal windows and fee changes.
• Planning and zoning boards, for hearings on land use near your location.
• Trade associations and your local chamber of commerce, which often summarize changes for members.

Set a routine you can keep

Checking a dozen websites every week is not realistic for most owners. A lighter routine works better: sign up for email notices wherever an agency offers them, put known renewal dates on your calendar, and set aside a few minutes each month to scan upcoming council and board agendas for anything touching your industry.

Let the changes come to you

PolyWise is built for owners who do not have time for that routine. You set your location and industry, PolyWise watches local and state policy sources, and you get a short, plain-language alert when something changes that affects you, with enough notice to plan for it.