Starting a Business in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Are you starting a business in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Fort Washington.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Fort Washington. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
• You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Which Business to Choose?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.

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 Disappearing Beds Business guide or our How to Start a Security Systems Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Fort Washington. Some businesses will do better in Fort Washington than others. A critical consideration is whether Fort Washington demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	1426
5-9 Employees	570
10-19 Employees	438
20-49 Employees	444
50-99 Employees	162
100-249 Employees	150
250-499 Employees	36
500-999 Employees	12
1000+ Employees	6
All Fort Washington Businesses	3244

As a new Fort Washington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fort Washington 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
Architectural Services	4
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Transmission Repair	1
Beauty Salons	2
Blind and Shade Manufacturing	1
Book Stores	1
Building Inspection Services	1
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Car Washes	1
Caterers	1
Child and Youth Services	2
Child Day Care Services	6
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Claims Adjusting	4
Collection Agencies	1
Computer and Software Stores	3
Computer Facilities Management Services	2
Computer Systems Design Services	7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities	1
Convenience Stores	2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers	2
Couriers	1
Credit Unions	1
Custom Computer Programming Services	10
Dental Laboratories	2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers	1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers	1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers	4
Direct Mail Advertising	1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	4
Electrical Contractors	3
Elementary and Secondary Schools	4
Employment Placement Agencies	1
Engineering Services	8
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	3
Flooring Contractors	1
Food Service Contractors	5
Full-Service Restaurants	4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	2
Grantmaking Foundations	3
Graphic Design Services	2
Heating Oil Dealers	1
Home Health Care Services	3
Homes for the Elderly	1
Industrial Design Services	1
Industrial Launderers	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	13
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting	2
Investigation Services	1
Investment Advice	2
Janitorial Services	1
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	1
Landscaping Services	2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	6
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Marketing Consulting Services	8
Media Buying Agencies	1
Media Representatives	2
Medical Laboratories	2
Miscellaneous Intermediation	1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	8
Motion Picture and Video Production	1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping	1
New Car Dealers	2
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	5
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Administrative Services	4
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers	3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	11
Offices of Dentists	9
Offices of Lawyers	14
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	1
Payroll Services	3
Periodical Publishers	2
Political Organizations	1
Portfolio Management	2
Prepress Services	1
Public Relations Agencies	1
Quick Printing	1
Real Estate Credit	7
Residential Remodelers	2
Retail Bakeries	1
Sales Financing	3
Savings Institutions	1
Securities Brokerage	2
Security Guards and Patrol Services	1
Siding Contractors	1
Software Publishers	3
Sports and Recreation Instruction	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	19
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	2
Travel Agencies	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	2
Veterinary Services	2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	1
Voluntary Health Organizations	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	12

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Fort Washington, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Representative franchise opportunities include Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating and Lucy's LaundryMart Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Fort Washington Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Fort Washington.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Obtaining startup financing for your Fort Washington business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Angel Investors.

For Fort Washington entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Pennsylvania Angel Investors and our List of Pennsylvania Venture Capital Firms.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Pennsylvania universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Fort Washington networking organizations.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Fort Washington. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Fort Washington and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

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

• Resources for Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Fort Washington entrepreneurs.
• Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center - Pennsylvania SBDCs help aspiring entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses, help small firms expand, and provide the information every business person needs to make critical decisions. There is no charge for their assistance and their free help can make the difference between business success and failure.
• Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Fort Washington, Pennsylvania newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Fort Washington area.
• Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Fort Washington, Pennsylvania area radio stations.

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