Are you starting a business in Binghamton, New York? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Binghamton.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
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:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Binghamton. 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.
Binghamton, New York Demographic Information
Binghamton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Binghamton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Binghamton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2454 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1191 |
| 10-19 Employees |
810 |
| 20-49 Employees |
576 |
| 50-99 Employees |
177 |
| 100-249 Employees |
108 |
| 250-499 Employees |
30 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Binghamton Businesses |
5358 |
As a new Binghamton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Binghamton 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 |
7 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
8 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
4 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
19 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
23 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
11 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Caterers |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
5 |
| Child Day Care Services |
12 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
14 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
9 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
9 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
47 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
16 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
12 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
13 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
58 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
11 |
| Furniture Stores |
10 |
| General Automotive Repair |
22 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
7 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
28 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
11 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
63 |
| Limousine Service |
3 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Mobile Food Services |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
5 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
6 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
5 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
6 |
| Offices of Dentists |
31 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
61 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
7 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Outerwear Knitting Mills |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
10 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
12 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
4 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing |
1 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
13 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
13 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
7 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
13 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
10 |
| Taxi Service |
3 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
14 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
10 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
12 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
6 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
5 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
8 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Yarn Spinning Mills |
1 |
| Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Visit the business district of Binghamton and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include City Wok and Minuteman Press International, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bath Remodeling Franchises and Environmental Testing Franchises.
Note on Binghamton Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Binghamton, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
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 Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Binghamton, it's very important that you make sure no other New York company is using the business name you want to use.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Having a business plan is vital 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. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in New York.
Marketing Your New Company
To grow your Binghamton business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Advertising on the Web is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Successful entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Binghamton, New York, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby New York universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Binghamton entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Binghamton. 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 Binghamton and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Binghamton 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 Binghamton, New York
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Binghamton.
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