Are you starting a business in Chetek, Wisconsin? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Chetek.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to go into business for yourself?
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Chetek. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Good Business Ideas.
To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Newspaper Publishers' Representatives Business guide or our Starting an Out-Reach Ministries Business guide.
Don't forget that you are starting a business in Chetek. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Chetek. A critical consideration is whether Chetek demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Chetek, Wisconsin Demographic Information
Chetek has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Chetek demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Chetek.
| Business Size | # of Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
270 |
| 5-9 Employees |
90 |
| 10-19 Employees |
48 |
| 20-49 Employees |
21 |
| 50-99 Employees |
3 |
| 100-249 Employees |
6 |
| 250-499 Employees |
0 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Chetek Businesses |
438 |
As a new Chetek entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Chetek 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 Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
5 |
| Electrical Contractors |
2 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
7 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
1 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
1 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Sawmills |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Chetek and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Franchising Process. 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 Octoclean Franchising and Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Care Franchises and Home Services Franchises.
Note on Chetek Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Chetek, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
Writing a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.
Raising Money for Your Venture
Getting your Chetek business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Attracting Investors.
For Chetek entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, you'll want to take a look at our List of Wisconsin Angel Investors and our List of Wisconsin Venture Capital Firms.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Successful business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Chetek, Wisconsin, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Wisconsin universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Chetek entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Chetek, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Chetek businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Chetek, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Chetek, Wisconsin
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Chetek.
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