Thinking about starting a business in Auburn, New York? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Auburn.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Most new companies don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Auburn. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- Peruse Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Which Business to Choose?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
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 an Alternative Medicine Practice guide or our Starting a Blankets Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Auburn. Some businesses will do better in Auburn than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Auburn demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Auburn, New York Demographic Information
Auburn has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Auburn demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Auburn.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
26496 |
| 5-9 Employees |
11312 |
| 10-19 Employees |
7728 |
| 20-49 Employees |
4272 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1536 |
| 100-249 Employees |
816 |
| 250-499 Employees |
336 |
| 500-999 Employees |
48 |
| 1000+ Employees |
48 |
| All Auburn Businesses |
52592 |
As a new Auburn entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Auburn 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 |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automatic Vending Machine Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
6 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Books Printing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
10 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
14 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
8 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
7 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
28 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Stores |
4 |
| General Automotive Repair |
22 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
6 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Glass Container Manufacturing |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
5 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
7 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
21 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Iron Foundries |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
7 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
32 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
10 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Distribution |
1 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Museums |
4 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
8 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
24 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
23 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
6 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
9 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
3 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Record Production |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
14 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
4 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Small Arms Manufacturing |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
3 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
10 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Auburn, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Steamatic, Inc. and California Closet Company, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Fitness Franchises and Mail and Shipping Services Franchises.
Note on Auburn Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Auburn.
Should You Buy an Existing Auburn Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in New York. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Auburn.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.
Marketing Your New Venture
To grow your Auburn business, you need a excellent marketing plan.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Planning an Event discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Next Steps
Most new Auburn businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Auburn businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Auburn entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Auburn, New York
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Auburn.
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