Chatbot helps state entrepreneurs

Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.
·2 min read

Apr. 19—For entrepreneurs who want access to state information about their business startups at any time, West Virginia is now offering answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Secretary of State Mac Warner announced Tuesday that a chatbot named "SOLO," Single Online Location, is up and running.

During the annual Bridging Innovation and WV Entrepreneurs Conference on Tuesday in Wheeling, Warner announced the launch of an online artificial intelligence that extends his office's online business services to 24/7/365 for entrepreneurs looking for information on how to start a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

"SOLO is a great addition to our Business & Licensing Division staff," Warner said. "Now, an entrepreneur can get answers to most of their questions any time of the day or night. While SOLO doesn't replace the services our professional staff provides, SOLO is another tool available to assist entrepreneurs with navigating West Virginia's business registration process."

The chatbot is powered by artificial intelligence and machine-learning products by IBM's "Watson," he said, and is developed by a team of professionals from the WVSOS Business & Licensing Division, WVSOS Technology Division, and IBM. SOLO can currently provide anywhere from general information to specific details relating to the formation of LLCs in West Virginia.

It is an online complement to the brick-and-mortar One Stop Business Center already established.

Warner said the purpose of the chatbot is to provide a single online location where entrepreneurs can learn all about forming a new company, and at a time most convenient for them.

Warner also said that while SOLO's expertise is currently limited to LLC formation, SOLO will continue to learn and will eventually be able to answer questions and provide guidance on other WVSOS subjects such as all types of business entity registrations, professional licensure and elections.

"The future is promising for SOLO," he said in the announcement. "One day, SOLO may well revolutionize the way West Virginians interact with their government."

Warner said giving the chatbot a name involved the public.

"We held an online public opinion election among West Virginia citizens to help us name the new online tool," he said. "After two weeks of voting, 'SOLO' was selected from a list of five options."

The launch of SOLO comes on the heels of the integration of Workforce WV services into the Business4WV online portal, making the process of starting a new business online even quicker and easier than before.

Find the SOLO icon at the bottom-right corner of the WVSOS website at www.wvsos.gov.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com