Starting a Business in Ashburn, Virginia

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

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Ashburn. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
• You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Ashburn. Some businesses will do better in Ashburn than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Ashburn demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Ashburn, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	3752
5-9 Employees	588
10-19 Employees	516
20-49 Employees	438
50-99 Employees	144
100-249 Employees	78
250-499 Employees	6
500-999 Employees	6
1000+ Employees	6
All Ashburn Businesses	5534

As a new Ashburn entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ashburn 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Apprenticeship Training	1
Architectural Services	2
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	1
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	9
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	2
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores	2
Canvas and Related Product Mills	1
Car Washes	1
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	19
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores	1
Community Food Services	1
Computer and Software Stores	2
Computer Facilities Management Services	2
Computer Systems Design Services	88
Computer Training	2
Convenience Stores	2
Convention and Visitors Bureaus	1
Credit Card Issuing	1
Custom Computer Programming Services	52
Dental Laboratories	1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers	2
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying	1
Direct Mail Advertising	2
Document Preparation Services	3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Educational Support Services	1
Electrical Contractors	7
Electronic Shopping	2
Elementary and Secondary Schools	4
Employment Placement Agencies	4
Engineering Services	11
Environmental Consulting Services	3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring	2
Fine Arts Schools	7
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	9
Floor Covering Stores	5
Flooring Contractors	1
Florists	2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Food Service Contractors	3
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair	1
Framing Contractors	1
Freight Transportation Arrangement	6
Full-Service Restaurants	24
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers	2
Furniture Stores	3
General Automotive Repair	2
General Freight Trucking, Local	2
General Rental Centers	1
General Warehousing and Storage	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	3
Glass and Glazing Contractors	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	1
Home Centers	1
Household Appliance Stores	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	6
Interior Design Services	1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting	1
Internet Service Providers	4
Investigation Services	1
Investment Advice	8
Janitorial Services	7
Land Subdivision	1
Landscaping Services	14
Language Schools	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	32
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Machine Shops	1
Mail-Order Houses	1
Marketing Consulting Services	9
Masonry Contractors	4
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	4
Motion Picture and Video Production	3
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
Nail Salons	3
News Syndicates	1
Newspaper Publishers	3
Nonresidential Property Managers	3
Office Administrative Services	5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	6
Offices of Chiropractors	6
Offices of Dentists	20
Offices of Lawyers	4
Offices of Optometrists	3
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	3
Packing and Crating	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	8
Passenger Car Rental	1
Periodical Publishers	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Photography Studios, Portrait	2
Political Organizations	1
Portfolio Management	1
Private Mail Centers	3
Professional Employer Organizations	1
Professional Organizations	1
Public Relations Agencies	2
Radio Stations	1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Real Estate Credit	3
Residential Property Managers	2
Residential Remodelers	11
Roofing Contractors	2
Savings Institutions	2
Secondary Market Financing	1
Security Guards and Patrol Services	2
Siding Contractors	1
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	7
Software Publishers	2
Sound Recording Studios	1
Sporting Goods Stores	3
Sports and Recreation Instruction	7
Sports Teams and Clubs	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	2
Testing Laboratories	1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	1
Tire Dealers	1
Tour Operators	2
Travel Agencies	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	4
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Veterinary Services	4
Video Tape and Disc Rental	3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	8
Window Treatment Stores	3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	7

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Ashburn, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Staffing a Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Ashburn Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Ashburn, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Should You Buy an Existing Ashburn Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Ashburn.

If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Company

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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Ashburn, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Virginia business.

Forming a Company in Ashburn, Virginia

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

When forming a company, you will choose from 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 Virginia, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Virginia. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Offshore Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Ashburn, Virginia, our web page covering Incorporating in Virginia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Virginia.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, 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.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new Ashburn business will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as 504 Loans.

For Ashburn entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Virginia Angel Investors and our List of Virginia Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Company

Whether your goal is to attract Ashburn customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn all about marketing on our site. Planning an Event 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.

The Art of Selling

Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ashburn or are selling to customers throughout Virginia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Closing Sales Techniques offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Ashburn, Virginia, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Virginia educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Ashburn entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Ashburn. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Ashburn and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ashburn, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ashburn, Virginia

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

• Resources for Ashburn, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ashburn entrepreneurs.
• Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
• Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
• Ashburn, Virginia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Ashburn, Virginia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Ashburn area.

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