Thinking about starting a business in Grosse Pointe, Michigan? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Grosse Pointe.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Most new companies fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Grosse Pointe. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- Peruse Why Small Businesses Fail. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good 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 How to Start a Copiers Service & Repair Business guide or our How to Start a Fire Extinguishers Commercial & Industrial Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Grosse Pointe. Some businesses will do better in Grosse Pointe than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Grosse Pointe demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Grosse Pointe, Michigan Demographic Information
Grosse Pointe has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Grosse Pointe demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Grosse Pointe.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2297 |
| 5-9 Employees |
572 |
| 10-19 Employees |
411 |
| 20-49 Employees |
222 |
| 50-99 Employees |
99 |
| 100-249 Employees |
24 |
| 250-499 Employees |
6 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
9 |
| All Grosse Pointe Businesses |
3640 |
As a new Grosse Pointe entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Grosse Pointe 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 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
32 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
6 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Claims Adjusting |
3 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
9 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
11 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
15 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
8 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
5 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
31 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
2 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
5 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
34 |
| Interior Design Services |
8 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
9 |
| Janitorial Services |
10 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
18 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
24 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
10 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
12 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
36 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
66 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Open-End Investment Funds |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Outerwear Knitting Mills |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
8 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
3 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
9 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
6 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
5 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
5 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
5 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
10 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
9 |
| Securities Brokerage |
15 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
5 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
22 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
14 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Grosse Pointe, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Detecting Franchising Scams. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include The Connoisseur and Jackson's All American Sports Grill. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Photos and Portraits Franchises and Financial Services Franchises.
Note on Grosse Pointe Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Grosse Pointe, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Is Buying an Existing Grosse Pointe Business a Good Strategy?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Michigan. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Grosse Pointe.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Grosse Pointe customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising on Google discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Grosse Pointe entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
Most new Grosse Pointe businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Grosse Pointe and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Grosse Pointe, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Grosse Pointe.
- Resources for Grosse Pointe, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Grosse Pointe 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.
- Grosse Pointe, Michigan Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Grosse Pointe, Michigan newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Grosse Pointe area.
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