Are you starting a business in East Hartford, Connecticut? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in East Hartford.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before quitting your day job, 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:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in East Hartford. 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.
East Hartford, Connecticut Demographic Information
East Hartford has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for East Hartford demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in East Hartford.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1713 |
| 5-9 Employees |
713 |
| 10-19 Employees |
504 |
| 20-49 Employees |
324 |
| 50-99 Employees |
120 |
| 100-249 Employees |
117 |
| 250-499 Employees |
27 |
| 500-999 Employees |
12 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All East Hartford Businesses |
3536 |
As a new East Hartford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in East Hartford 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 |
3 |
| Aircraft Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
7 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
9 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
10 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
8 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
5 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Photography |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
7 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
6 |
| Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
7 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
5 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
8 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
7 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
10 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
7 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
11 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
10 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
22 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
15 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
5 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
6 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
6 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
26 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
19 |
| Janitorial Services |
15 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Junior Colleges |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
13 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
23 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
3 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
5 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
6 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
8 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
23 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
18 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
4 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Paper (except Newsprint) Mills |
1 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
4 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
9 |
| Residential Remodelers |
13 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
5 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
11 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
12 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
3 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
What About Buying an Existing East Hartford Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Connecticut. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in East Hartford.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Picking 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.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in East Hartford, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Connecticut business.
Forming a Company in East Hartford, Connecticut
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.
When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating 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 Connecticut, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Connecticut. As it turns out, you are allowed to 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 Avoiding Personal Liability in Business. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in East Hartford, Connecticut, our web page covering Incorporating in Connecticut may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Connecticut.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Connecticut.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in East Hartford. 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 East Hartford and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in East Hartford, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in East Hartford, Connecticut
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in East Hartford.
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