Colonial Beach, Virginia
A Beach Town Launches Complex Online Business Licensing in Under a Week

Primary Objective

Make business licensing fully digital

Improve the customer experience for Colonial Beach residents by launching an online business license application system.

Challenge

Tight deadline to go live

The Town Council prioritized a better licensing experience, but there were fewer than two weeks before the annual renewal date. The Finance team, which manages business licenses and gross receipts tax, needed this workflow online fast. With so little time, Colonial Beach evaluated “licensing software” options, found ClearGov, and quickly booked a demo — then made the decision without delay.

Solution

Rapid build-out with ClearForms

Because time was so tight and their licensing process was complex (with custom logic, formulas, and PDF outputs), Colonial Beach asked the ClearGov team to help build their workflow. Rather than building it entirely themselves, they leveraged ClearForms to set up a fully functional online application in days — complete with reviewer routing, custom logic, and a polished output — just in time for the renewal cycle.

We’re getting great feedback from our local business owners about the new online licensing option and we’re very happy we found ClearGov.

Results

Fast launch and high user satisfaction

The town got a working business license form live in record time, and:

• The first business license was issued online less than a week after starting.
• Feedback from local business owners has been very positive.
• Colonial Beach’s digital workflow now enables self-service, transparency, and speed, improving staff efficiency and resident satisfaction.

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