Once upon a time, in a world filled with vibrant colors, there was a whimsical girl named Jillie Willie. She had a knack for designing the most beautiful, handmade aprons. Her unique designs quickly gained popularity, but one day, while looking for suppliers, she stumbled upon an unforeseen hurdle. “Can a felon obtain a business license? Such a silly question!” Jillie thought, however she soon realized it wasn’t so silly after all. After some searching, she found out it was indeed a question a whole lot of people needed the answer to, especially her fellow creatives. This whimsical story is inspired by the hardcore truth – there are legalities, especially for obtaining a business license, that most people don’t know about, but will soon find out they need to be aware of. The Complete Guide will take you from Jillie’s storybook to reality. If you’ve ever landed on this page with hopes, dreams and maybe a little bit of fear or frustration, you’re in the web of a colorful person who will probably be overwhelmed with excitement when they see success or fulfilling failures. I’m not saying that juiced-up emotion is always rational, but experience says that anyone who wants to achieve something like Jillie Willie had, will have to explore other options and work way harder than those who have spent their lives following the usual path. “Can a felon get a business license?” It all depends on where you live. Some states and cities have made it easier to bring entrepreneurial self-determination back to inmates who had colorful ideas that would fill their dreams. And others haven’t. If you’re interested in learning about the rules and regulations for obtaining a business license in your area, you can head over to the Small Business Administration for more information. “Can a felon get a business license?” The answer is often “yes” however there are strict rules around how much of your “creative” past employers and customers need to know. Although websites and indications of the nature of the product or service do not need to reflect the previous life of someone who has made mistakes, it is always better to be honest than to have a surprise later. If you think you have found the right avenue for your creativity, but are afraid of what people will think of you based on your criminal record, don’t shy away from the opportunity altogether. Sometimes leading with perseverance and innovation is more important than playing nice and safe. There are many resources and support groups out there for anyone, but especially for felons can help not just guide them through the bureaucracy of applying and obtaining a business license, but will also give them a sense of belonging to a community of people like themselves. In any case, it’s good to remember, that if you get a door slammed at you while trying to get a business license, there are plenty of other doors with friendly people who are happy to help.
