Montana Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Laurel, Montana
Are you starting a business in Laurel, Montana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Laurel.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you want to go into business for yourself?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Laurel. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at 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 How to Start a Birth Control & Family Planning Information & Services Business guide or our Starting a Sidewalk Cafes Business guide.
Don't forget that Laurel is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Laurel than others. Make sure you fully understand Laurel demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Laurel, Montana Demographic Information
Laurel has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Laurel demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Laurel.
Businesses
As a new Laurel entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Laurel 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
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Laurel, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Multi-Unit Franchising. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include Bath Fitter and Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppes. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Franchises and Pest Control Franchises.
Note on Laurel Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Laurel.
Picking a Company Name
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Laurel, it's critical that you ensure that no other Montana company is using the business name you want to use.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Laurel customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Direct Mail Costs is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Laurel business, you need to focus on sales.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Closing Sales Techniques offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Laurel, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Laurel businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Laurel 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 Laurel, Montana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Laurel.
- Resources for Laurel, Montana Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Laurel entrepreneurs.
- Montana Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Montana.
- Montana Small Business Development Center - The Montana Small Business Development Centers focus on the creation, retention and expansion of Montana small businesses.
More Startup Articles for Montana Cities
Starting a Business in Kalispell
Starting a Business in Lewistown
Browse All Business Startup Guides for Montana
Starting a Business Guides for Other States
Share this article
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs