Take a Look at Competitors

Prior to launching a yarn shop within your community, it's essential to see how you will fit in the competitive landscape. We've provided the link below to help you generate a list of competitors in your city. Just enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of yarn shops in your community.

• Search for Yarn Shops Near You

How tough is the competition in the market you are considering? If the competition is too tough, you may need to think about starting the business in a different area or even start a completely different business instead.

Studying the Market

Once you've finished assessing the competion, you really ought to learn from folks who are already in business. It's very unlikely that the local competition will talk to you. Why would they want to educate a future competitor?

On the other hand, an individual who has a yarn shop in a location that is not competitive to you may be willing to share their entrepreneurial wisdom with you, as long as they don't view you as a competitive threat. In fact, they are often very willing to share startup advice with you. It can take a while to find an entrepreneur who is willing to talk, but it's well worth the effort.

Where can you find somebody who runs a yarn shop that lives outside of your area?

No problem! Just use the link below and try a random city/state or zipcode. Then start dialing for advice until you are successful.

• Find an Experienced Yarn Shop Entrepreneur

Don't Forget About Franchising As an Option

Recognize that your chances of making a success of your new business are much greater if you buy a franchise rather than going it alone.

Prior to making the decision to open a yarn shop, it's worthwhile to check out whether buying a franchise could be the right move for you.

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.

• How to Choose a Franchise