Are you starting a business in Easton, Pennsylvania? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Easton.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to start a business?
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:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Easton. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. 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 Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
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 Opening an Insurance Examinations Business guide or our Opening a Range & Oven Sales & Service Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Easton. Some businesses will do better in Easton than others. Make sure you fully understand Easton demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Easton, Pennsylvania Demographic Information
Easton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Easton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Easton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
23967 |
| 5-9 Employees |
10260 |
| 10-19 Employees |
6660 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3321 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1269 |
| 100-249 Employees |
1080 |
| 250-499 Employees |
297 |
| 500-999 Employees |
54 |
| 1000+ Employees |
81 |
| All Easton Businesses |
46989 |
As a new Easton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Easton 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 |
| Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
4 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
7 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
46 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
8 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
4 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
4 |
| Cheese Manufacturing |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
22 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
20 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
8 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
5 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
6 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing |
3 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
11 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Electron Tube Manufacturing |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
11 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fats and Oils Refining and Blending |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
9 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
12 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
12 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
77 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
21 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
8 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Industrial Pattern Manufacturing |
1 |
| Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
24 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| International Trade Financing |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron Foundries |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
| Jewelry Stores |
9 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
22 |
| Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
66 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
6 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
4 |
| Masonry Contractors |
7 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Nail Salons |
3 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
13 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonclay Refractory Manufacturing |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
13 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
40 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
51 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
4 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
2 |
| Plastics Bag Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plastics Bottle Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
3 |
| Portfolio Management |
7 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
3 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
5 |
| Residential Remodelers |
23 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
6 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
14 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
7 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Software Publishers |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
6 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
5 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
8 |
| Tobacco Stores |
4 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
7 |
| Used Car Dealers |
5 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
7 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
2 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Easton, it's critical that you ensure that no other Pennsylvania company is using the business name you want to use.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Creating a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Pennsylvania.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Easton business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Closing Sales Techniques offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Easton, Pennsylvania, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Pennsylvania universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Easton entrepreneurs.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Easton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Easton businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Easton, Pennsylvania
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