Alaska Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Juneau, Alaska
Need help starting a business in Juneau, Alaska? We've got the information you need to open a business in Juneau.
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?
Being an entrepreneur is hard work, much harder than working as an employee. Are you certain you want to start a business?
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 Juneau. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
Juneau, Alaska Demographic Information
Juneau has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Juneau demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Juneau.
Businesses
As a new Juneau entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Juneau 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.
Businesses
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Juneau, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Credit and Franchise Purchasing. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill and Ductbusters. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Healthcare Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.
Note on Juneau Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Juneau.
What About Buying an Existing Juneau Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Alaska. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Juneau.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Naming the Company
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Juneau, it's critical that you ensure that no other Alaska company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Alaska.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Juneau, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Juneau and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Juneau 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 Juneau, Alaska
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Juneau.
- Resources for Juneau, Alaska Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Juneau entrepreneurs.
- Alaska Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Alaska.
- Alaska Small Business Development Center - The Alaska Small Business Development Center, which is hosted by the University of Alaska and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, has assisted businesses by providing free, confidential technical business assistance and low-cost business training in Alaska for twenty years.
More Startup Articles for Alaska Cities
Starting a Business in Homer
Starting a Business in Kenai
Browse All Business Startup Guides for Alaska
Starting a Business Guides for Other States
Share this article
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs