Starting a Business in Gunnison, Colorado

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

Do You Have What It Takes?

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

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:

• Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Gunnison. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
• Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
• Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. 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.

Gunnison, Colorado Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	2925
5-9 Employees	918
10-19 Employees	477
20-49 Employees	207
50-99 Employees	27
100-249 Employees	9
250-499 Employees	9
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Gunnison Businesses	4572

As a new Gunnison entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gunnison 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering	1
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair	1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	5
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	6
Book Publishers	1
Book Stores	1
Building Inspection Services	1
Business Associations	2
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Canvas and Related Product Mills	1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services	1
Caterers	1
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	2
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores	1
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Commercial Lithographic Printing	1
Commercial Photography	1
Commercial Screen Printing	1
Computer and Software Stores	2
Convenience Stores	1
Couriers	2
Credit Unions	1
Custom Computer Programming Services	2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers	1
Discount Department Stores	1
Display Advertising	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	3
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	10
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Engineering Services	2
Environmental Consulting Services	2
Family Clothing Stores	2
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	5
Floor Covering Stores	2
Flooring Contractors	3
Florists	2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Food Service Contractors	2
Framing Contractors	2
Full-Service Restaurants	18
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	4
General Automotive Repair	8
General Freight Trucking, Local	3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	3
Glass and Glazing Contractors	2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Graphic Design Services	1
Hardware Stores	3
Household Appliance Stores	1
Hunting and Trapping	1
Ice Manufacturing	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	11
Internet Service Providers	1
Janitorial Services	4
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	1
Landscaping Services	2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	2
Limited-Service Restaurants	9
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Logging	1
Machine Shops	1
Marinas	1
Marketing Consulting Services	2
Masonry Contractors	2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
Natural Gas Distribution	1
New Car Dealers	2
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	2
Nonresidential Property Managers	2
Office Administrative Services	2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	9
Offices of Dentists	7
Offices of Lawyers	11
Offices of Optometrists	3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	3
Passenger Car Rental	1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	1
Professional Organizations	1
Public Relations Agencies	1
Quick Printing	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Residential Property Managers	2
Residential Remodelers	2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Roofing Contractors	2
Sales Financing	1
Savings Institutions	1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation	2
Securities Brokerage	1
Security Guards and Patrol Services	1
Septic Tank and Related Services	1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing	1
Shoe Stores	2
Sign Manufacturing	2
Site Preparation Contractors	3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	2
Solid Waste Collection	1
Special Needs Transportation	1
Sporting Goods Stores	8
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	3
Tire Dealers	2
Tobacco Stores	1
Travel Agencies	1
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Veterinary Services	5
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1
Women's Clothing Stores	2

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Gunnison, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include Natural Awakenings and Cosi, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Security Franchises and Coffee Shop Franchises.

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

Naming the 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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

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

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Gunnison, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Colorado business.

Startup Financing Basics

Raising money to fund your new Gunnison business will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Gunnison entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Colorado Angel Investors and our List of Colorado Venture Capital Firms.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Gunnison, Colorado, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Colorado universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Gunnison entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

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

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

We are here to help Gunnison businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Gunnison entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Gunnison, Colorado

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

• Resources for Gunnison, Colorado Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Gunnison entrepreneurs.
• Colorado Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Colorado.
• Colorado Small Business Development Center - The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is dedicated to helping small businesses throughout Colorado achieve their goals by providing free confidential counseling and various training programs.
• Gunnison, Colorado Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Gunnison, Colorado newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Gunnison area.
• Gunnison, Colorado Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Gunnison, Colorado area radio stations.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Colorado
Starting a Business in Greenwood Village
Starting a Business in Gypsum

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Colorado