Starting a Business in Anacortes, Washington

Thinking about starting a business in Anacortes, Washington? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Anacortes.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Running your own business is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

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 Anacortes. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
• We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
• Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Paperweights Business guide or our Starting a Photographic Equipment & Supplies Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Don't forget that your new business will be in Anacortes. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Anacortes. Don't forget to review Anacortes demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Anacortes, Washington Demographic Information

Anacortes has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Anacortes demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Anacortes.

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	1401
5-9 Employees	432
10-19 Employees	246
20-49 Employees	111
50-99 Employees	27
100-249 Employees	24
250-499 Employees	15
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Anacortes Businesses	2256

As a new Anacortes entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Anacortes 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	1
Aircraft Manufacturing	1
Architectural Services	3
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	4
Baked Goods Stores	1
Beauty Salons	6
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	2
Boat Building	5
Boat Dealers	10
Book Publishers	2
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Building Inspection Services	3
Canvas and Related Product Mills	1
Car Washes	2
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)	1
Caterers	1
Child Day Care Services	12
Civic and Social Organizations	3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Collection Agencies	1
Community Food Services	2
Computer Facilities Management Services	1
Computer Systems Design Services	1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities	1
Convenience Stores	1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus	1
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing	1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)	1
Credit Unions	2
Deep Sea Freight Transportation	1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	1
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing	1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	3
Electrical Contractors	11
Electronic Shopping	3
Emergency and Other Relief Services	1
Engineering Services	9
Environmental Consulting Services	1
Family Clothing Stores	1
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finfish Fishing	6
Finish Carpentry Contractors	3
Fish and Seafood Markets	2
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	4
Floor Covering Stores	2
Flooring Contractors	3
Florists	1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Framing Contractors	1
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing	3
Full-Service Restaurants	28
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	2
General Automotive Repair	8
General Freight Trucking, Local	3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Graphic Design Services	2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers	1
Hardware Stores	3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	2
Home Centers	1
Homes for the Elderly	3
Household Appliance Stores	2
Industrial Building Construction	1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing	1
Inland Water Freight Transportation	2
Inland Water Passenger Transportation	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	14
Interior Design Services	3
Investment Advice	1
Janitorial Services	6
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	3
Landscape Architectural Services	1
Landscaping Services	9
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	12
Limousine Service	1
Locksmiths	1
Logging	1
Machine Shops	1
Mail-Order Houses	1
Marinas	3
Marketing Consulting Services	1
Marking Device Manufacturing	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Metal Can Manufacturing	1
Miscellaneous Intermediation	1
Mobile Food Services	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	2
Museums	1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
New Car Dealers	2
New Housing Operative Builders	4
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	4
Office Administrative Services	1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	5
Offices of Chiropractors	6
Offices of Dentists	15
Offices of Lawyers	7
Offices of Optometrists	2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
One-Hour Photofinishing	1
Packing and Crating	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	8
Passenger Car Rental	1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	2
Petroleum Refineries	2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	5
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	1
Portfolio Management	1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing	1
Private Mail Centers	1
Radio Stations	1
Real Estate Credit	1
Recreational Goods Rental	3
Remediation Services	1
Residential Remodelers	10
Retail Bakeries	1
Roofing Contractors	3
Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills	2
Savings Institutions	2
Sawmills	1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation	1
Seafood Canning	1
Securities Brokerage	7
Septic Tank and Related Services	2
Shellfish Fishing	8
Ship Building and Repairing	3
Site Preparation Contractors	7
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	13
Software Publishers	1
Special Needs Transportation	1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing	1
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters	1
Tire Dealers	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Tour Operators	1
Used Car Dealers	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	3
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	3
Window Treatment Stores	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing	1

Naming the Business

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Anacortes, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another Washington business.

Forming a Company in Anacortes, Washington

It's essential that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

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. If you are starting a business in Washington, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Washington. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Subchapter S Corporations. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Anacortes, Washington, our web page covering Incorporating in Washington may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Washington.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Washington.

Letting the World Know You Exist

To rise above the crowd in Anacortes and grow your business, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Toll Free Numbers is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Anacortes, 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 Anacortes and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Anacortes, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Anacortes, Washington

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Anacortes.

• Resources for Anacortes, Washington Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Anacortes entrepreneurs.
• Washington Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Washington.
• Washington Small Business Development Center - Washington Small Business Development Centers promote economic vitality by providing advice, training and research to Washington entrepreneurs and existing Washington businesses.
• Anacortes, Washington Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Anacortes, Washington newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Anacortes area.
• Anacortes, Washington Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Anacortes, Washington area radio stations.

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