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.

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	4350
5-9 Employees	1470
10-19 Employees	750
20-49 Employees	600
50-99 Employees	90
100-249 Employees	0
250-499 Employees	30
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Laurel Businesses	7290

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.

Business Type	# of Businesses
Advertising Agencies	1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	2
Baked Goods Stores	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Car Washes	2
Child Day Care Services	3
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Commercial Screen Printing	1
Community Food Services	1
Computer Systems Design Services	1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining	1
Consumer Lending	1
Credit Unions	2
Custom Computer Programming Services	1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	4
Engineering Services	2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	1
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	2
Floor Covering Stores	1
Flooring Contractors	1
Framing Contractors	1
Full-Service Restaurants	8
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	1
General Automotive Repair	6
General Rental Centers	2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	2
Internet Service Providers	1
Investigation Services	1
Janitorial Services	7
Landscaping Services	1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	2
Limited-Service Restaurants	6
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Musical Groups and Artists	1
Natural Gas Distribution	1
New Car Dealers	2
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Chiropractors	2
Offices of Dentists	6
Offices of Lawyers	1
Offices of Optometrists	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	2
Petroleum Refineries	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing	1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Roofing Contractors	2
Securities Brokerage	1
Security Guards and Patrol Services	1
Septic Tank and Related Services	1
Siding Contractors	3
Site Preparation Contractors	3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	1
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Tax Preparation Services	2
Testing Laboratories	1
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Veterinary Services	4
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2

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.
Laurel, Montana Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Laurel, Montana newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Laurel area.
Laurel, Montana Payroll Services - This list includes Laurel, Montana payroll services, national payroll services for Laurel, and helpful information on choosing a Laurel payroll service.

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