Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Florence, Wisconsin

Contemplating starting a business in Florence, Wisconsin? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Florence.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read 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 Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Florence. If Florence already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Study Florence demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Florence, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2688
5-9 Employees
546
10-19 Employees
420
20-49 Employees
84
50-99 Employees
42
100-249 Employees
42
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Florence Businesses
3822

As a new Florence entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Florence 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
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
1
Breweries
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Convenience Stores
1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
6
General Automotive Repair
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Hardware Stores
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Logging
5
Machine Shops
1
Motorcycle Dealers
2
New Car Dealers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Lawyers
2
Residential Remodelers
2
Sawmills
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Veterinary Services
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Florence, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise 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 Florence Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Florence, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Selecting a Name For Your Business

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Florence, it's very important that you make sure no Wisconsin company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Company Formation in Florence, Wisconsin

It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

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.

Incorporation 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. Just because you are starting a business in Wisconsin, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Wisconsin. In fact, you can 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's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Dissolving a Corporation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Florence, Wisconsin, our web page covering Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

The best entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

With your business being located in Florence, Wisconsin, you should investigate some of the learning programs at local Wisconsin educational institutions. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Florence entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Florence. 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.

We are here to help Florence businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Florence, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Florence, Wisconsin

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

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