Quantcast

Online tools aid biz in boro: Bloomberg

By Jeremy Walsh

Speaking at Li's Laundromat at 96-10 31st Ave., the mayor praised the hardworking spirit of the Li family, who he said migrated from South China 10 years ago.He said small businesses like the Laundromat can complete the biannual process of relicensing with the city Department of Consumer Affairs online in a matter of a few minutes rather than the four or five hours it takes in person.”The process is straightforward and simple,” Bloomberg said. “And though Xin Li has a master's degree in computer science … you don't have to be a computer whiz to renew your license online.”Xin Li praised the city's emphasis on technology.”Doing business is not easy in any city or country,” Li said. “This program helped us a lot and I enjoyed using it.”Bloomberg also demonstrated a new complaint tracking system for the city's 311 service, which allows residents to follow their entry online as it progresses.”The objective is to do as many things automatically as possible,” he said when asked if the online 311 system would eliminate wait times at city offices. “But there will always be a need for someone to answer the phone.”The mayor also addressed questions about the nation's worsening economy, acknowledging that the city's dependency on Wall Street profits means it will be affected just like less affluent areas of the country.”(People) have reason to be worried, but I think we're doing all the right things,” he said. “There's no reason to panic.”Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.