By Teri Nehrenz
This is only my opinion and my experience. Over many years of writing some of the local news, I’ve had the opportunity to hear a few horror stories about how difficult it was to start a business in Mesquite.
I did not find that to be true. It was far easier than I would have expected without having heard the stories. In fact, it was a pleasure!
Walking across the threshold at City Hall was the biggest hurdle, and that was nothing. The rest was a piece of cake thanks to two women, one a city employee, the other a new County Clerk in our city.
To apply for a City of Mesquite Business License or Special Event Permit, you’ll be going to see Jessilyn Leavitt. You couldn’t be in better or more efficient hands. She knows her job and can multitask with the best of them.
It all started with a friendly hello and smile, always a great way to start. She immediately asked what I needed and as I was telling her she started pulling the forms, asking pertinent questions as she went. She pulled all the forms I needed with the questions she asked and didn’t have to go back to get anything she missed. She flew like lightning through this process. She did the same things as she was filling out everything she could on the forms, only giving them to me to fill out information she didn’t already know or have in front of her. She writes very fast and it’s still legible. In her position, it’s got to be a necessary skill to have. Trust me, she files a lot of paperwork.
Before I knew it she was escorting me to the new County Clerk’s Office personally. She introduced me, told Debbie what I was there for, and off she went to send my info to where it was she needed to send it so it would be ready for me when I was finished with Debbie.
Debbie Debootd is the new County Clerk. She holds office hours at City Hall on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. The office provides marriage licenses, fictitious firm name applications and renewals. I was applying for a fictitious firm name for Mesquite Today.
If Debbie and I hadn’t had such a great time chatting with one another, I’d have been out of there in a few minutes but she was so much fun to talk with.
When I went back to get the business license there were two other people Jessilyn was helping so I told her I’d go run some errands and be back to pick up the license. I ran my errands and when I came back I had a beautifully prepared stack of paperwork with my new Mesquite Business license on top. It was that easy!
I don’t know why I heard those horror stories in the past but I will sure pay less attention to them in the future- unless it’s something newsworthy.
On a side note: Mesquite Today is the first official business to receive a fictitious business name in the City of Mesquite’s new County Office.