Hall County Business License Director Susan Rector is in the business of helping people reach their goals.

Since 1996, Rector has worked in the business license office and helped people in unincorporated Hall County to start their own businesses.

 “It’s very fulfilling to see them satisfying a dream,” Rector said. “It really feels good to see how happy they are.”

Many people who come to the office have been looking forward to being business owners for years.

Even during the recession, many are still looking to start businesses, Rector said.

“They’ll say something to the effect of, ‘I’ve worked for someone else all my life, I got laid off, this is my opportunity, I feel like this is a door that has been opened for me to do something I’ve wanted to do all my life,’” she said.

Rector said her favorite part of her job is working with people.

“We meet all kinds of people here every day,” Rector said. “They all have interesting stories to tell.”

In the county, 80 to 90 percent of businesses are small and home-based.

“Most of the businesses we have in (unincorporated) Hall County are what I’d call mom and pop,” Rector said. “Most are out of their homes.”

 Rector said businesses licenses are not only a requirement by the county, they are important to gain customer trust.

“It makes your business appear to be more legitimate to the public,” she said. “It makes people feel more comfortable,”

Rector said she gets calls every day from people wanting to check if a business is licensed.

“A lot of times having the license does benefit the business,” Rector said

Rector said licenses can also provide networking opportunities and allow vendors to buy products wholesale.

Rector said any type of business is required to have a license, even small-scale businesses such as people who sell crafts over the Internet.

“There’s a lot of people who aren’t aware they have to have a business license,” Rector said.

The business license department also handles alcoholic beverage, hotel and motel taxes in unincorporated Hall County.

“If it’s within a city limit, this office doesn’t have jurisdiction,” Rector said.

Rector was born in Hall County.

“I’ve lived here basically all my life,” she said.

She has one daughter and three grandchildren, ages 4, 5 and 6.

“I love just doing anything with my grandchildren,” she said. She also enjoys spending time in the mountains.