Now, aiming to make the process faster and less arduous, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis and the R.I. Economic Development Corporation’s Every Company Counts program have teamed up to guarantee that business owners will be less frustrated by the process of collecting the information they need from the government.

The initiative, called “We Mean Business,” will be formally announced at the first annual We Mean Business Expo from noon to 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln. The event is free, and there is also a Web site, www.wemeanbusinessri.com...

...Mollis said his office and Every Company Counts are trying to show the private sector a different side of government, one that communicates: “We’re here to help.”