Thinking about starting a business in Alvin, Texas? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Alvin.
Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?
Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to start a business?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Alvin. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
Alvin, Texas Demographic Information
Alvin has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Alvin demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Alvin.
| Business Size | # of Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2098 |
| 5-9 Employees |
810 |
| 10-19 Employees |
612 |
| 20-49 Employees |
384 |
| 50-99 Employees |
96 |
| 100-249 Employees |
54 |
| 250-499 Employees |
30 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Alvin Businesses |
4090 |
As a new Alvin entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Alvin 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
6 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
17 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
| Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
9 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
10 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
9 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
13 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
4 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
3 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
6 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
13 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Petrochemical Manufacturing |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
3 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Surface Active Agent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
Visit the business district of Alvin and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you look into purchasing a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Sparkle Wash and CinnaMonster. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Carpet Retail Franchises and Home Inspection Franchises.
Note on Alvin Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Alvin.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Having a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Texas.
Promoting Your New Venture
To rise above the crowd in Alvin and build your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Typical Direct Mail Response Rates is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.
With your business being located in Alvin, Texas, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Texas universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any Alvin networking organizations.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Alvin, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Alvin and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Alvin, Texas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Alvin.
- Resources for Alvin, Texas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Alvin entrepreneurs.
- Texas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Texas.
- Houston, Texas Small Business Development Center - Serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 business consulting and training centers, the Small Business Development Center Network contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Texas Gulf Coast communities.
- North Texas Small Business Development Center - The NTSBDC Network promotes small business success by providing management education.
- Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center - The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center was established with Texas Tech University in 1986. This regional program serves over ninety thousand square miles including ninety-five counties with a population base of approximately 1.8 million people. This region is serviced by six centers located in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Stephenville, and Wichita Falls.
- South-West Texas Border SBDC Network Texas Small Business Development Center - The South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community.
- Alvin, Texas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Alvin, Texas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Alvin area.
- Alvin, Texas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Alvin, Texas area radio stations.
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