Are you starting a business in Baytown, Texas? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Baytown.
What Type of Business Should You Start?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Chairs Retail Business guide or our How to Start an Elevators Residential Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Baytown. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Baytown. Make sure you fully understand Baytown demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Baytown, Texas Demographic Information
Baytown has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Baytown demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Baytown.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2143 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1020 |
| 10-19 Employees |
639 |
| 20-49 Employees |
465 |
| 50-99 Employees |
150 |
| 100-249 Employees |
90 |
| 250-499 Employees |
18 |
| 500-999 Employees |
9 |
| 1000+ Employees |
9 |
| All Baytown Businesses |
4543 |
As a new Baytown entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Baytown 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
18 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carbon Black Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
16 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Concrete Pipe Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
5 |
| Convenience Stores |
14 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Custom Roll Forming |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
4 |
| Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
8 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
4 |
| Engineering Services |
5 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
4 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
9 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
44 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
22 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
8 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
27 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
10 |
| Jewelry Stores |
9 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
5 |
| Landscaping Services |
5 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
56 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
12 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
5 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
7 |
| Office Administrative Services |
10 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
4 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
15 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
30 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
40 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petrochemical Manufacturing |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Petroleum Refineries |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
8 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
4 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
3 |
| Residential Property Managers |
5 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
8 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
5 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Temporary Help Services |
11 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
7 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tortilla Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
7 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
7 |
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Baytown, it's imperative that you check now that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Baytown, Texas
A critical step is ensuring that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield 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.
Incorporation 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 Texas, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Texas. In fact, you can 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 How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Baytown, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, 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.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Texas.
Marketing Your New Company
Whether your goal is to attract Baytown customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Conducting Sweepstakes and Contests 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.
Ramping Up Sales
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Baytown business to do well.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Mastering the Complex Sale offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Moving Forward
Most new Baytown businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Baytown and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Baytown, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Baytown, Texas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Baytown.
- Resources for Baytown, Texas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Baytown entrepreneurs.
- Texas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Texas.
- Houston, Texas Small Business Development Center - Serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 business consulting and training centers, the Small Business Development Center Network contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Texas Gulf Coast communities.
- North Texas Small Business Development Center - The NTSBDC Network promotes small business success by providing management education.
- Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center - The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center was established with Texas Tech University in 1986. This regional program serves over ninety thousand square miles including ninety-five counties with a population base of approximately 1.8 million people. This region is serviced by six centers located in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Stephenville, and Wichita Falls.
- South-West Texas Border SBDC Network Texas Small Business Development Center - The South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community.
- Baytown, Texas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Baytown, Texas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Baytown area.
- Baytown, Texas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Baytown, Texas area radio stations.
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