Opening doors. Growing communities.
Opening a business should be exciting—not overwhelming.
OpenShop gives entrepreneurs a clear path from deciding to open a local business to opening their doors—while giving municipalities better tools to support them along the way.
The problem today
The hard part was never the idea.
Every café, boutique, salon, bookstore, studio, and brewery begins with someone brave enough to pursue an idea. But deciding to open is only the beginning. Then comes the maze: permits, licenses, inspections, zoning, and a dozen disconnected websites that rarely agree with each other.
The problem isn't a lack of information. It's a lack of clarity, coordination, and usability.
Meanwhile, city staff spend their days answering the same questions, routing people between departments, and trying to support entrepreneurs with tools that were never built for the job.
Why OpenShop exists
Every neighborhood favorite starts somewhere–with someone believing their idea is worth building.
Opening Doors
Helping entrepreneurs navigate the journey from idea to opening day.
Building Places
Bringing more vibrant storefronts and gathering spaces into communities.
Strengthening Communities
Supporting local economies through thriving neighborhood businesses.
Empowering Municipalities
Better tools for cities to support entrepreneurs and economic development.
HOW OPENSHOP WORKS
One guided path to opening day.
Every opening is different. OpenShop builds a personalized path around your business type and location—then guides you through what needs to happen, when, and where.
Tell us what you're opening
A short onboarding builds your business profile.
Get your personalized path
See the requirements for your business and location.
Work through it, with a guide
Navigate permits, licenses, inspections, documents, and more with help along the way.
Open your doors. Keep moving forward.
Keep up with renewals, compliance, and what comes next.
Two audiences, one mission
Built for both sides of the opening journey.
For business owners
We're building OpenShop to give you a clear path through the requirements standing between you and opening day.
Personalized startup roadmap
A plan built around your business type, location, and goals.
AI-powered business assistant
Ask anything. Get answers grounded in your city's rules.
Permits, licenses, inspections
Tracked in one place, with what's next always obvious.
Business Profile
Enter your information once and reuse it everywhere.
Timeline & reminders
Deadlines, renewals, and compliance dates that find you.
Life after opening
Guidance keeps going once the doors are open.
For municipalities
We're building OpenShop so you can give entrepreneurs a clearer path to opening while extending your team's capacity to support them.
Fewer repetitive questions
Consistent answers before the phone ever rings.
Cross-department coordination
One journey instead of a dozen disconnected offices.
Pipeline visibility
See every business moving toward opening day.
Analytics on friction
Know exactly where entrepreneurs get stuck—and why.
Direct communication
Send updates to the businesses they affect.
Capacity, not headcount
Extend your team without adding staff.
One Open Door Changes Everything
Opening a business is just the beginning.
A vacant storefront comes to life.
A first customer walks through the door.
Neighbors find new jobs.
A community gains another place to gather.
New connections are made.
A neighborhood feels more like home.
Ready to open your doors?
Be among the first to do it with OpenShop.
OpenShop is currently in development. Join early to help shape a simpler journey to opening day and beyond.