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  Entrepreneurial Resources - Advice for Mississippi Entrepreneurs  
  Ashland, Mississippi Resources for Entrepreneurs  
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Starting a Business in Ashland, Mississippi

Are you starting a business in Ashland, Mississippi? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Ashland.

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Before quitting your day job, assess 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.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ashland. 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.

Ashland, Mississippi Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees 765
5-9 Employees 357
10-19 Employees 153
20-49 Employees 255
50-99 Employees 102
100-249 Employees 51
250-499 Employees 0
500-999 Employees 0
1000+ Employees 0
All Ashland Businesses 1683

As a new Ashland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ashland 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores 1
Business Associations 1
Child Day Care Services 1
Cotton Ginning 1
Credit Bureaus 1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing 1
Nursing Care Facilities 1
Offices of Lawyers 1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores 1
Window Treatment Stores 1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Visit the business district of Ashland and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include Cinnzeo and Fiducial Franchises, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Consulting Franchises and Health Franchises.

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

Selecting a Name For Your Venture

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

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

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Ashland, it's very important that you make sure no other Mississippi company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Ashland, Mississippi

A critical step is ensuring that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Mississippi, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Mississippi. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Corporate Formalities. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Ashland, Mississippi, our information on Incorporating in Mississippi may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Mississippi.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Having 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. Not having 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 can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Mississippi.

The Art of Selling

Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ashland or are selling to customers throughout Mississippi, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Ashland and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ashland, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ashland, Mississippi

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

More Business Startup Guides for Mississippi
Starting a Business in Amory
Starting a Business in Baldwyn

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Mississippi

 

 

Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Starting a Business - Business Ideas - Naming and Branding - City Guides

Buying a Business - Writing a Business Plan - Raising Money - Incorporate

Small Business Marketing - Customer Service Tips - Entrepreneurial Selling

Startup Leadership - Strategy - Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurs

Articles on Exporting - Human Resources for Entrepreneurs - Workers Comp

Legal Information for Entrepreneurs - Sarbanes-Oxley - Accounting

Business Credit Cards - Nonprofit Entrepreneurs - Mission Statements

Tax Tips and Resources for Entrepreneurs - Operating Your Startup Business

Real Estate Decisions for Entrepreneurs - Franchising - Selling a Business

Starting a Home Business - Small Business Technology - Business Travel

Business Finance - Advice for Retailers - Entrepreneurship for Scientists

Administrative Professionals / Office Managers - Family Business Advice

Good Businesses to Start - Start an Energy Business - Start a Hedge Fund

Payroll Service Information - Productivity Tips - Bad Economy Advice

Small Business Websites - Search Engine Optimization - Online Reputation

Search Engine Marketing - Social Marketing Optimization - Radio Ad Costs

Newspaper Advertising Rates - City-Specific Resources for Entrepreneurs

Small Business Insurance - Global Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneur Features

Small Business Loans - Studying Entrepreneurship - Social Entrepreneurship

Veteran Entrepreneurs - Useful Web Sites for Entrepreneurs - Dell Deals

Entrepreneurial Resources by State - Resources for Young Entrepreneurs

African American Entrepreneurs - Resources for Hispanic Entrepreneurs

Resources for Asian Entrepreneurs - Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

Resources for Gay Entrepreneurs - Businesses for Sale - Office Supplies

Economics - Lists of Small Business Incubators - Lists of Angel Investors

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms - Franchise Opportunities

Recommended Products and Services for Entrepreneurs - Contributors

Get FREE Price Quotes from Multiple Vendors - Business Glossary