Are you starting a business in Durango, Colorado? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Durango.
What Business Are You Starting?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
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 How to Start an Air Sightseeing Tour Business guide or our How to Start a Terrazzo, Marble, & Tile Contractors Business guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Durango. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Durango. Make sure you fully understand Durango demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Durango, Colorado Demographic Information
Durango has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Durango demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Durango.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
7280 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2244 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1284 |
| 20-49 Employees |
792 |
| 50-99 Employees |
162 |
| 100-249 Employees |
60 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Durango Businesses |
11840 |
As a new Durango entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Durango 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 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
15 |
| Art Dealers |
7 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
8 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
18 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
5 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
11 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Breweries |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
6 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
17 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
4 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Photography |
3 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
11 |
| Computer Training |
2 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Dental Laboratories |
3 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
10 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
8 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
23 |
| Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
28 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
8 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
11 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
9 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
10 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
12 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
63 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
9 |
| General Automotive Repair |
16 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
11 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
4 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
30 |
| Interior Design Services |
6 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
7 |
| Janitorial Services |
15 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
9 |
| Land Subdivision |
6 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
4 |
| Landscaping Services |
33 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
31 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
5 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
2 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
12 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
4 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
3 |
| Natural Gas Liquid Extraction |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
5 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
10 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
22 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
8 |
| Offices of Dentists |
33 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
44 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
6 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
16 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
3 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
5 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
1 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
3 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
16 |
| Residential Remodelers |
19 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| Secondary Market Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Silverware and Hollowware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
22 |
| Skiing Facilities |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
10 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
19 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Coal Mining |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
5 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
3 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
5 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
7 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
3 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
9 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Forming a Company in Durango, Colorado
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will protect 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 common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Colorado, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Colorado. In fact, 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 may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Durango, Colorado, our information on Incorporating in Colorado may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Colorado.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Durango customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
You can learn all about marketing on our site. Marketing Basics is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
How to Sell
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Durango business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Hiring Good Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Good business owners recognize that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Durango, Colorado, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Colorado universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Durango entrepreneurs.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Durango, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Durango businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Durango, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Durango, Colorado
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Durango.
More Business Startup Guides for Colorado
Starting a Business in Dove Creek
Starting a Business in Eads
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Colorado
