Thinking about starting a business in Altoona, Pennsylvania? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Altoona.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Altoona. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Altoona, Pennsylvania Demographic Information
Altoona has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Altoona demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Altoona.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
14256 |
| 5-9 Employees |
7902 |
| 10-19 Employees |
4986 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3618 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1044 |
| 100-249 Employees |
756 |
| 250-499 Employees |
126 |
| 500-999 Employees |
36 |
| 1000+ Employees |
18 |
| All Altoona Businesses |
32742 |
As a new Altoona entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Altoona for each business category. By looking at this chart, you can get
a general sense for how much competition there is in the business niche that
you are pursuing.
| Business Type |
# of
Businesses |
| Advertising Agencies |
4 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
3 |
| Armored Car Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
3 |
| Barber Shops |
4 |
| Beauty Salons |
45 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
7 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
3 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
7 |
| Child and Youth Services |
6 |
| Child Day Care Services |
14 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
20 |
| Claims Adjusting |
3 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
6 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
2 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
11 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dance Companies |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
3 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
4 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Display Advertising |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
33 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
18 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
6 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
15 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
7 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
47 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
8 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
11 |
| General Automotive Repair |
25 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
8 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
3 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
12 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Historical Sites |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
29 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
5 |
| Janitorial Services |
13 |
| Jewelry Stores |
9 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
18 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
54 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
13 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
12 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
13 |
| Offices of Dentists |
33 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
35 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
6 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
16 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
8 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
3 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
25 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
10 |
| Securities Brokerage |
8 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
4 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
11 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
4 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Software Reproducing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
8 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tobacco Stores |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
8 |
| Wineries |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
9 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
16 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Altoona, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchising Mistakes. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Cartridge World and IM=X Pilates Studio. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Frozen Yogurt Franchises.
Note on Altoona Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Altoona.
Choosing a Business Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Altoona, it's very important that you make sure no other Pennsylvania company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Altoona, Pennsylvania
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Pennsylvania, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Pennsylvania. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Nevada Incorporation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Altoona, Pennsylvania, our information on Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Pennsylvania.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Altoona customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Billboard Advertising Costs is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Altoona. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Altoona businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Altoona, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Altoona.
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