Small Business Startup

Opening a Natural Gas Brokerage

These tips are ideal for those of you who plan on opening a natural gas brokerage. Make sure you consider this advice before you start!

Wondering how to start a natural gas brokerage? We take you step-by-step from start to success.

Business Plan Mechanics for Natural Gas Brokerages

If you haven't written a business plan for your new natural gas brokerage, it's time to get started.

At Gaebler, we advise new business owners to keep your business plan simple. Ultimately, your business plan is intended to be a resource for you, the business owner.

If your time is limiting, outline the essentials of your natural gas brokerage's business plan now and make a commitment to come back to it later.

Take a Look at the Competition

Long before you open a natural gas brokerage in your area, it's a smart move to determine what the competition looks like. We've provided the link below to help you get a list of local competitors in your area. After clicking on the link, type in your city, state and zip code to get a list of natural gas brokerages near you.

If there's too much competition, it may be wise to consider starting the business in a less competitive marketplace.

Finding a Non-Competitive Business Mentor

If you are interested in starting a natural gas brokerage, the next step is to have a conversation with someone who is in the business. If you think your local competitors will give you advice, you're being overoptimistic. What's in it for them?

Thankfully, an owner of a a natural gas brokerage in a different city can be a great learning resource for you, given that you don't compete with them in their area. In fact, they are often very willing to share startup advice with you. In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.

What's the process for finding a natural gas brokerage manager who is willing to talk to you but doesn't live nearby?

Simple. Let your fingers do the walking by using the link below.

Advantages of Buying an Established Natural Gas Brokerage

We know . . . From the time you were a kid you dreamed about starting a business from scratch and growing it to a position of market dominance.

Yet a healthier and safer strategy may be to purchase an existing natural gas brokerage.

Existing natural gas brokerages are proven operations with dependable revenue streams. As an added bonus, you'll also gain the ability to headaches and hassles of startup trial-and-error.

Franchising May Be a Better Way to Go

Buying a franchise ensures that you can leverage ideas and systems that come from seasoned and successful entrepreneurs.

Before opening a natural gas brokerage, you may want to assess whether franchise opportunities in your space might alleviate your startup process.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

Related Articles on Starting a Company

These additional resources regarding starting a business may be of interest to you.

Buying vs. Starting a Business

Business Idea Evaluation

Questions to Ask Before Starting a Business

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