Texas Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Laredo, Texas

Thinking about starting a business in Laredo, Texas? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Laredo.

Laredo, Texas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
14060
5-9 Employees
5538
10-19 Employees
4026
20-49 Employees
2484
50-99 Employees
822
100-249 Employees
444
250-499 Employees
54
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
18
All Laredo Businesses
27470

As a new Laredo entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Laredo 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
5
Ambulance Services
8
Amusement Arcades
5
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
11
Armored Car Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
8
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
33
Automotive Transmission Repair
7
Baked Goods Stores
7
Beauty Salons
37
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
5
Bowling Centers
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
5
Business to Business Electronic Markets
2
Cafeterias
6
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
11
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
57
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
9
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Claims Adjusting
7
Clothing Accessories Stores
11
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
8
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
7
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
4
Community Food Services
4
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
3
Consumer Lending
36
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
8
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
7
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Discount Department Stores
4
Document Preparation Services
3
Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
23
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
18
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
23
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
32
Family Planning Centers
2
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
4
Fine Arts Schools
2
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
10
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
10
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
527
Full-Service Restaurants
131
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Fur and Leather Apparel Manufacturing
1
Furniture Stores
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
107
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
5
General Warehousing and Storage
34
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
32
Glass and Glazing Contractors
6
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
1
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
10
Home Centers
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
10
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
6
Human Rights Organizations
1
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
3
Industrial Launderers
3
Interior Design Services
4
International Trade Financing
2
Internet Service Providers
2
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
6
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
5
Janitorial Services
17
Jewelry Stores
26
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
15
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
129
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
10
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
3
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Marine Cargo Handling
1
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
6
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
11
Miscellaneous Intermediation
13
Mixed Mode Transit Systems
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
10
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
3
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
15
New Housing Operative Builders
8
Nonresidential Property Managers
10
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
1
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
24
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
9
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
21
Offices of Dentists
26
Offices of Lawyers
90
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
5
Packing and Crating
10
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
7
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Rental
4
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
1
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
2
Political Organizations
4
Port and Harbor Operations
1
Portfolio Management
4
Private Mail Centers
6
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Radio Networks
2
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
4
Real Estate Credit
8
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
4
Remediation Services
2
Repossession Services
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Retail Bakeries
9
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
7
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Sales Financing
4
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
14
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
40
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
13
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
5
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
5
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Help Services
8
Temporary Shelters
3
Testing Laboratories
5
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
4
Tire Dealers
12
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tortilla Manufacturing
4
Tour Operators
2
Travel Agencies
4
Used Car Dealers
22
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
8
Used Merchandise Stores
12
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
7
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
20
Window Treatment Stores
2
Women's Clothing Stores
39

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Laredo Business?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Texas. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Laredo.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Naming the Business

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.

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Laredo, it's very important that you make sure no Texas company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Forming a Company in Laredo, Texas

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Texas, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Texas. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

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 Why Incorporate in Delaware. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Laredo, Texas, our web page covering Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, 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.

To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Texas.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Laredo, Texas, you should investigate some of the learning programs at local Texas educational institutions. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Laredo networking organizations.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Laredo 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 Laredo, Texas

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

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