Help for small business

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa formally announced Wednesday the creation of a small-business team that will help companies cut through red tape, access municipal services and add jobs to their payrolls. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The Office of Small Business Services will operate out of Villaraigosa's Office of Economic and Business Policy and will serve as a conduit between local companies and City Hall.

"Los Angeles has more small businesses than any city in the country and is the economic engine of our economy," Villaraigosa said in a statement. "We expect this new initiative to help unlock the doors to much-needed resources for the small-business community as well as provide them with an advocate solely dedicated to their specific needs."