Thinking about starting a business in Fredericksburg, Texas? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Fredericksburg.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you sure 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:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Fredericksburg. 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.
Fredericksburg, Texas Demographic Information
Fredericksburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Fredericksburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Fredericksburg.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
10325 |
| 5-9 Employees |
3465 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1932 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1071 |
| 50-99 Employees |
189 |
| 100-249 Employees |
63 |
| 250-499 Employees |
0 |
| 500-999 Employees |
21 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Fredericksburg Businesses |
17066 |
As a new Fredericksburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fredericksburg 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 |
|
Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Art Dealers |
6 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Beauty Salons |
5 |
|
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
9 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
8 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
|
Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
|
Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
|
Florists |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
33 |
|
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
10 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
21 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Hunting and Trapping |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
11 |
| Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
|
Landscaping Services |
11 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
14 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
6 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
6 |
|
Meat Markets |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
|
New Car Dealers |
3 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
8 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
5 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
1 |
|
Offices of Dentists |
9 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
14 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
|
Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
6 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
|
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
9 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
|
Tortilla Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
3 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wineries |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
9 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Picking a Company Name
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.
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 starting a business in Fredericksburg, it's critical that you ensure that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Fredericksburg, Texas
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Texas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Texas. In fact, 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 Incorporation Advice. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Fredericksburg, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Fredericksburg business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Take advantage of our many articles on finding startup capital, such as Microlending as a Small Business Funding Source.
For Fredericksburg entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Texas Angel Investors and our List of Texas Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Company
To grow your Fredericksburg business, you need a great marketing plan.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Making the Most of Trade Shows is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Fredericksburg, Texas, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Texas universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking organizations for Fredericksburg entrepreneurs.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Fredericksburg, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Fredericksburg and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Fredericksburg, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Fredericksburg, Texas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Fredericksburg.
- Resources for Fredericksburg, Texas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Fredericksburg entrepreneurs.
- Texas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Texas.
- Houston, Texas Small Business Development Center - Serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 business consulting and training centers, the Small Business Development Center Network contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Texas Gulf Coast communities.
- North Texas Small Business Development Center - The NTSBDC Network promotes small business success by providing management education.
- Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center - The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center was established with Texas Tech University in 1986. This regional program serves over ninety thousand square miles including ninety-five counties with a population base of approximately 1.8 million people. This region is serviced by six centers located in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Stephenville, and Wichita Falls.
- South-West Texas Border SBDC Network Texas Small Business Development Center - The South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community.
- Fredericksburg, Texas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Fredericksburg, Texas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Fredericksburg area.
- Fredericksburg, Texas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Fredericksburg, Texas area radio stations.
- Fredericksburg, Texas Payroll Services - This list includes Fredericksburg, Texas payroll services, national payroll services for Fredericksburg, and helpful information on choosing a Fredericksburg payroll service.
- Fredericksburg, Texas Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Fredericksburg, Texas, such as business brokers in Fredericksburg and other helpful information on how to buy a Fredericksburg business.
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