Case study · Public resources

One place for DC businesses to find what comes next.

We helped create a civic platform connecting local businesses with resources, events, agencies, service providers, and one another.

Product strategy Platform engineering Service design
List · Map · CalendarResource discovery
QuickBase + MapsPlatform integrations
FrequentUser testing cycles
TDDQuality practice
DC Department of Small and Local Business Development
The context

Making city resources easier to reach.

In partnership with Cureate, Source Labs worked with the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development to improve connections between District businesses and local government. DC Business Toolkit brings resources, events, agencies, and service providers together in one practical destination.

01 · The challenge

Useful support only works when people can find it.

Business owners needed a clearer way to discover relevant assistance, while agencies needed reliable tools to publish, manage, and understand the resources they provide.

  • 01Bring many kinds of business support into one searchable experience.
  • 02Serve business owners, service providers, and agency employees in the same platform.
  • 03Keep complex administrative data flows manageable behind the scenes.
02 · The approach

Build with the people who would use it.

Source Labs provided both product management and engineering, using a tight Agile process to keep business owners and local agencies close to every important product decision.

01

Frequent user testing

Regular feedback cycles helped ensure the platform addressed real needs rather than assumed ones.

02

Product and engineering together

One integrated team connected stakeholder priorities directly to technical delivery.

03

Test-driven development

Automated tests made quality a continuous part of the build instead of a final checkpoint.

03 · The product

A toolkit for discovery, connection, and participation.

The platform gives businesses a clear route to useful information while providing agencies and administrators with the tools required to keep it current.

DC Business Toolkit homepage and featured assistance resources
01A welcoming starting point directs business owners toward featured assistance, events, and local connections.
Searchable DC business resource directory
02Resources can be explored as a list, calendar, or map and refined by issue, industry, and resource type.
Public business profile in DC Business Toolkit
03Public profiles help businesses describe their work, share contact details, and connect across the local ecosystem.
04 · The result

A shared platform for the full small-business ecosystem.

  • 01A searchable directory spanning resources, events, workshops, and classes.
  • 02Public profiles that businesses can manage and use to connect with others.
  • 03Agency workflows for creating and distributing resources to business owners.
  • 04Administrative tools for data flow, account management, analytics, and exports.
Kim Bryden
Source Labs has been instrumental to team Cureate, not just in development, but in complex problem solving. They understand that products are systems, and that every interaction creates ripple effects for the people using them.
Kim BrydenFounder and CEO, Cureate
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