Starting a Business in Gladwin, Michigan

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

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

Most startup businesses don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

• Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Gladwin. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
• 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. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

What Business to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a District Justices Business guide or our How to Start a Helicopter Dealers Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Gladwin. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Gladwin. A critical consideration is whether Gladwin demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Gladwin, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	552
5-9 Employees	231
10-19 Employees	120
20-49 Employees	54
50-99 Employees	15
100-249 Employees	9
250-499 Employees	3
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Gladwin Businesses	984

As a new Gladwin entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gladwin 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
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Beauty Salons	2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	2
Boat Dealers	2
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Business Associations	2
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	3
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	3
Commercial Lithographic Printing	1
Commercial Screen Printing	1
Convenience Stores	3
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing	1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	4
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Employment Placement Agencies	1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	2
Flight Training	1
Floor Covering Stores	2
Flooring Contractors	1
Florists	2
Food Service Contractors	1
Framing Contractors	1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets	1
Full-Service Restaurants	12
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	2
Furniture Stores	1
General Automotive Repair	6
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	2
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	1
Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing	1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing	1
Hardware Stores	2
Home Health Care Services	2
Home Health Equipment Rental	1
Homes for the Elderly	1
Human Rights Organizations	1
Industrial Building Construction	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	5
Interior Design Services	1
Internet Service Providers	1
Janitorial Services	2
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	1
Landscaping Services	5
Libraries and Archives	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	7
Logging	3
Machine Shops	1
Marinas	2
Meat Markets	1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping	1
Motorcycle Dealers	1
New Car Dealers	2
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Administrative Services	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	4
Offices of Chiropractors	2
Offices of Dentists	3
Offices of Lawyers	4
Offices of Optometrists	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Plastics Bag Manufacturing	1
Radio Stations	1
Real Estate Credit	1
Remediation Services	1
Residential Remodelers	5
Roofing Contractors	1
Sales Financing	1
Sawmills	1
Securities Brokerage	1
Shoe Stores	1
Siding Contractors	1
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	2
Tax Preparation Services	2
Timber Tract Operations	1
Tire Dealers	2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Tobacco Stores	1
Tour Operators	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing	1

Naming the Company

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

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

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Gladwin, it's imperative that you check now that no other Michigan company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Michigan.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Gladwin business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Gladwin entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Gladwin businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Gladwin 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 Gladwin, Michigan

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

• Resources for Gladwin, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Gladwin entrepreneurs.
• Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
• Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• Gladwin, Michigan Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Gladwin, Michigan newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Gladwin area.
• Gladwin, Michigan Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Gladwin, Michigan area radio stations.

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