Thinking about starting a business in Flint, Michigan? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Flint.
An entrepreneurial life is difficult, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
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:
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.
Don't forget that Flint is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Flint than others. Study Flint demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Flint has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Flint demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Flint.
As a new Flint entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Flint 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 |
4 |
| Ambulance Services |
5 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
5 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
8 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automatic Vending Machine Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
6 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
7 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
41 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
5 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
36 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
32 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
4 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
11 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
6 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
15 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
12 |
| Child Day Care Services |
34 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
24 |
| Claims Adjusting |
6 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
7 |
| Collection Agencies |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
11 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
4 |
| Community Food Services |
4 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
5 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
54 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
3 |
| Couriers |
8 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
4 |
| Credit Unions |
13 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Dental Laboratories |
10 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
16 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
7 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
8 |
| Display Advertising |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
63 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
22 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
7 |
| Engineering Services |
21 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
20 |
| Family Planning Centers |
3 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
4 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
9 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
11 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
11 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
14 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
11 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
3 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
5 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
106 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
21 |
| General Automotive Repair |
31 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
20 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
7 |
| Graphic Design Services |
4 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Hardware Stores |
12 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Centers |
4 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
17 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
9 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
3 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
4 |
| Industrial Valve Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
62 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
3 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Janitorial Services |
23 |
| Jewelry Stores |
27 |
| Junior Colleges |
2 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
5 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
24 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
10 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
137 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
3 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
5 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
4 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
10 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
6 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
4 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
14 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
6 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
16 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
8 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
6 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
19 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
19 |
| Offices of Dentists |
84 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
155 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
15 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
6 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
6 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
11 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
5 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
6 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
9 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
10 |
| Payroll Services |
9 |
| Periodical Publishers |
4 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
5 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
30 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
7 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
3 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
10 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
4 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
10 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
3 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
10 |
| Residential Remodelers |
15 |
| Retail Bakeries |
6 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
4 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
4 |
| Securities Brokerage |
17 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
8 |
| Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
27 |
| Siding Contractors |
4 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
8 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
19 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
16 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
26 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
23 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
12 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
7 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
7 |
| Used Car Dealers |
13 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
7 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
7 |
| Veterinary Services |
12 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
13 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
10 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
11 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
16 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
26 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
2 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Examine a list of Flint businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Get More Franchisees. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
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.
Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Flint, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another Michigan business.
Creating a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Indeed, 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
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Flint business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
As an entrepreneur in Flint, 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 Flint businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Flint, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Flint.
