Starting a Business in Du Bois, Pennsylvania

Thinking about starting a business in Du Bois, Pennsylvania? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Du Bois.

Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?

Most startup companies do not succeed, in part because the business owner did not have the tenacity and/or the skills 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 Du Bois. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
• Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
• Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Du Bois. Some businesses will do better in Du Bois than others. Don't forget to review Du Bois demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Du Bois, Pennsylvania Demographic Information

Du Bois has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Du Bois demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Du Bois.

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	2042
5-9 Employees	1104
10-19 Employees	546
20-49 Employees	420
50-99 Employees	216
100-249 Employees	102
250-499 Employees	12
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	6
All Du Bois Businesses	4448

As a new Du Bois entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Du Bois 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	2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Apprenticeship Training	1
Architectural Services	1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	8
Beauty Salons	17
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	4
Book Stores	3
Bowling Centers	1
Business and Secretarial Schools	1
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	2
Cafeterias	2
Car Washes	1
Cemeteries and Crematories	1
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	4
Civic and Social Organizations	8
Claims Adjusting	1
Clothing Accessories Stores	1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	2
Collection Agencies	1
Commercial Lithographic Printing	2
Computer and Software Stores	2
Computer Facilities Management Services	1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing	1
Confectionery and Nut Stores	2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining	1
Consumer Lending	3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities	1
Convenience Stores	1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools	1
Couriers	1
Creamery Butter Manufacturing	1
Credit Unions	2
Dental Laboratories	1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers	2
Digital Printing	1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers	5
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	1
Discount Department Stores	2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electric Power Distribution	2
Electrical Contractors	4
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Emergency and Other Relief Services	1
Engineering Services	1
Family Clothing Stores	4
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	6
Floor Covering Stores	2
Florists	3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Food Service Contractors	2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental	1
Full-Service Restaurants	25
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	2
Furniture Stores	2
General Automotive Repair	7
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	6
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Hardware Stores	2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	1
Home Centers	2
Home Health Care Services	3
Homes for the Elderly	1
Household Appliance Stores	3
Industrial Launderers	2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	17
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation	1
Janitorial Services	6
Jewelry Stores	5
Junior Colleges	1
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Landscaping Services	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	23
Linen Supply	1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Locksmiths	1
Machine Shops	4
Meat Markets	1
Men's Clothing Stores	1
Metal Heat Treating	1
Motorcycle Dealers	1
Natural Gas Distribution	3
New Car Dealers	11
New Housing Operative Builders	2
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	2
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers	1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	9
Offices of Chiropractors	5
Offices of Dentists	11
Offices of Lawyers	10
Offices of Optometrists	4
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing	1
Optical Goods Stores	3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	2
Payroll Services	1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	6
Photography Studios, Portrait	3
Plate Work Manufacturing	1
Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing	2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing	1
Professional Employer Organizations	1
Radio Networks	1
Radio Stations	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	2
Real Estate Credit	1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers	1
Residential Remodelers	8
Retail Bakeries	3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Sales Financing	1
School and Employee Bus Transportation	2
Securities Brokerage	1
Sewage Treatment Facilities	1
Shoe Stores	4
Siding Contractors	2
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	8
Sporting Goods Stores	3
Sports and Recreation Instruction	1
Spring (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Support Activities for Coal Mining	1
Tax Preparation Services	2
Telemarketing Bureaus	2
Temporary Help Services	2
Temporary Shelters	1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters	1
Tire Dealers	4
Tradebinding and Related Work	1
Travel Agencies	1
Used Car Dealers	3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	2
Used Merchandise Stores	3
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2
Women's Clothing Stores	6
Wood Preservation	1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Du Bois, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Du Bois Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Du Bois.

Should You Buy an Existing Du Bois Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Pennsylvania. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Du Bois.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Business

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Du Bois, it's imperative that you check now that no other Pennsylvania company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Du Bois, Pennsylvania

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

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. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Pennsylvania, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Pennsylvania. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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 LLC Advantages. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Du Bois, Pennsylvania, our information on Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without 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 free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Pennsylvania.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Du Bois business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Bank Credit Lines.

For Du Bois entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of Pennsylvania Angel Investors and our List of Pennsylvania Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Du Bois customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Advertising in Magazines discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

How to Sell

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Du Bois business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Du Bois, Pennsylvania, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Pennsylvania educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Du Bois entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

Most new Du Bois businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Du Bois and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Du Bois 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 Du Bois, Pennsylvania

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Du Bois.

• Resources for Du Bois, Pennsylvania Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Du Bois entrepreneurs.
• Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center - Pennsylvania SBDCs help aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses, help small firms expand, and provide the information every business person needs to make critical decisions. There is no charge for their assistance and their free help can make the difference between business success and failure.
• Du Bois, Pennsylvania Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Du Bois, Pennsylvania newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Du Bois area.

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