Are you starting a business in Astoria, Oregon? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Astoria.
Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Astoria. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- 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. 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.
Astoria, Oregon Demographic Information
Astoria has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Astoria demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Astoria.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
3279 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1008 |
| 10-19 Employees |
702 |
| 20-49 Employees |
423 |
| 50-99 Employees |
63 |
| 100-249 Employees |
18 |
| 250-499 Employees |
9 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Astoria Businesses |
5502 |
As a new Astoria entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Astoria 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 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
2 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
6 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
8 |
| Electrical Contractors |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finfish Fishing |
16 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
4 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
2 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
31 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
4 |
| General Automotive Repair |
3 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
8 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
9 |
| Logging |
11 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
5 |
| New Car Dealers |
2 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
3 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
11 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
14 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
6 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Seafood Canning |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
4 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
5 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
4 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Wineries |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Astoria, 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 evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include FoodNet and Kumon Math & Reading Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Training and Education Franchises and IT Franchises.
Note on Astoria Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Astoria, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Forming a Company in Astoria, Oregon
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will separate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
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. If you are starting a business in Oregon, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Oregon. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 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 may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Astoria, Oregon, our information on Incorporating in Oregon may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Oregon.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Oregon.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Astoria business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as Business Cash Advances.
For Astoria entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Oregon Angel Investors and our List of Oregon Venture Capital Firms.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Astoria. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Astoria and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Astoria, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Astoria, Oregon
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Astoria.
- Resources for Astoria, Oregon Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Astoria entrepreneurs.
- Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oregon.
- Oregon Small Business Development Center - Oregon Small Business Development Centers use a client-centered approach to deliver counseling, training, information and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management. There is no fee for their assistance.
- Astoria, Oregon Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Astoria, Oregon newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Astoria area.
- Astoria, Oregon Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Astoria, Oregon area radio stations.
- Astoria, Oregon Payroll Services - This list includes Astoria, Oregon payroll services, national payroll services for Astoria, and helpful information on choosing a Astoria payroll service.
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