Thinking about starting a business in Middlebury, Vermont? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Middlebury.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Before quitting your day job, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Middlebury. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
What Business to Start
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Evaluating Your Idea.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Fans Commercial & Industrial Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide or our Starting a Glass Coating & Tinting Materials Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Middlebury. Some businesses will do better in Middlebury than others. A critical consideration is whether Middlebury demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Middlebury, Vermont Demographic Information
Middlebury has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Middlebury demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Middlebury.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1482 |
| 5-9 Employees |
696 |
| 10-19 Employees |
340 |
| 20-49 Employees |
210 |
| 50-99 Employees |
96 |
| 100-249 Employees |
24 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Middlebury Businesses |
2866 |
As a new Middlebury entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Middlebury 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 |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
|
Beauty Salons |
9 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
3 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
|
Car Washes |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Cheese Manufacturing |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
4 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
|
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
|
Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
|
Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
|
Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
11 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
|
General Automotive Repair |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
5 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
|
Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
7 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
|
Janitorial Services |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
3 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
8 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Men's and Boys' Neckwear Manufacturing |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
3 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
|
Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
7 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
15 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
|
Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Silverware and Hollowware Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
|
Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wineries |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
4 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
Visit the business district of Middlebury and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Before Buying a Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include and Grower Direct Fresh Cut Flowers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Furnishings Franchises and Automotive Services Franchises.
Note on Middlebury Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Middlebury, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
What About Buying an Existing Middlebury Business?
We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Vermont. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Middlebury.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Middlebury customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Yellow Pages Advertising Advice is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Bring in Revenues
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Middlebury or are selling to customers throughout Vermont, 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. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Selling Products on eBay is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Middlebury. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Middlebury and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Middlebury 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 Middlebury, Vermont
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Middlebury.
- Resources for Middlebury, Vermont Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Middlebury entrepreneurs.
- Vermont Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Vermont.
- Vermont Small Business Development Center - The missionof Vermont Small Business Development Centers is to strengthen existing business entities and assist start-ups with high-quality, no-cost counseling and affordable training programs.
- Middlebury, Vermont Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Middlebury, Vermont newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Middlebury area.
- Middlebury, Vermont Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Middlebury, Vermont area radio stations.
- Middlebury, Vermont Payroll Services - This list includes Middlebury, Vermont payroll services, national payroll services for Middlebury, and helpful information on choosing a Middlebury payroll service.
- Middlebury, Vermont Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Middlebury, Vermont, such as business brokers in Middlebury and other helpful information on how to buy a Middlebury business.
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