Start a Business in Libby, Montana

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

• Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Libby. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
• Take a look at Starting a Company. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
• 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.

Libby, Montana Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	647
5-9 Employees	267
10-19 Employees	75
20-49 Employees	57
50-99 Employees	9
100-249 Employees	6
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Libby Businesses	1061

As a new Libby entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Libby 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
Ambulance Services	1
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Beauty Salons	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	2
Car Washes	1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services	1
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)	1
Child Day Care Services	3
Civic and Social Organizations	4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Collection Agencies	1
Commercial Lithographic Printing	1
Confectionery and Nut Stores	1
Consumer Lending	1
Couriers	1
Credit Unions	3
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	7
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	2
Educational Support Services	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	3
Elementary and Secondary Schools	2
Engineering Services	1
Environmental Consulting Services	1
Family Planning Centers	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	2
Floor Covering Stores	1
Florists	2
Food Service Contractors	1
Framing Contractors	1
Full-Service Restaurants	10
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	2
General Automotive Repair	5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Hardware Stores	3
Home Health Care Services	1
Home Health Equipment Rental	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	6
Interior Design Services	1
Janitorial Services	3
Jewelry Stores	1
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Land Subdivision	1
Landscaping Services	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	9
Logging	22
Machine Shops	1
Mail-Order Houses	1
Marketing Consulting Services	1
Miscellaneous Intermediation	1
Motorcycle Dealers	1
New Car Dealers	2
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Administrative Services	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	5
Offices of Chiropractors	3
Offices of Dentists	4
Offices of Lawyers	8
Offices of Optometrists	1
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Offices of Podiatrists	1
One-Hour Photofinishing	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Plate Work Manufacturing	1
Private Mail Centers	1
Radio Stations	1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Residential Remodelers	3
Sawmills	1
School and Employee Bus Transportation	1
Securities Brokerage	2
Septic Tank and Related Services	1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing	1
Shoe Stores	1
Siding Contractors	1
Site Preparation Contractors	5
Skiing Facilities	1
Software Publishers	1
Solid Waste Collection	1
Sporting Goods Stores	2
Steel Foundries (except Investment)	1
Support Activities for Forestry	6
Tax Preparation Services	2
Testing Laboratories	1
Tire Dealers	2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Tobacco Stores	2
Travel Agencies	1
Used Car Dealers	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Vending Machine Operators	1
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1
Women's Clothing Stores	1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing	1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Libby Business?

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

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Choosing a Company Name

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.

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: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Libby, it's very important that you make sure no Montana company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Libby business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn all about marketing on our site. Marketing Basics is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Ramping Up Sales

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Libby or are selling to customers throughout Montana, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Tips on Customer Referrals is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Good business owners know that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Libby, Montana, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Montana universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking organizations for Libby entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Libby and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Libby 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 Libby, Montana

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

• Resources for Libby, Montana Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Libby 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.
• Libby, Montana Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Libby, Montana newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Libby area.
• Libby, Montana Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Libby, Montana area radio stations.

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