Thinking about starting a business in Rutland, Vermont? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Rutland.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Most new ventures don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Rutland. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a 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. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Rutland, Vermont Demographic Information
Rutland has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Rutland demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Rutland.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
11076 |
| 5-9 Employees |
4536 |
| 10-19 Employees |
2862 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1800 |
| 50-99 Employees |
522 |
| 100-249 Employees |
360 |
| 250-499 Employees |
0 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
18 |
| All Rutland Businesses |
21174 |
As a new Rutland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Rutland 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 |
3 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
3 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
19 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
4 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
11 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
3 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
3 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
5 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
13 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Engineering Services |
6 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
4 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
31 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Fur and Leather Apparel Manufacturing |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
10 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
8 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
6 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
8 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
22 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
9 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
29 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| News Syndicates |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
12 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
24 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
46 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
6 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
12 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
11 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
4 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Rutland, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Brightscape Investment Centers and KnowledgePoints Learning Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Frozen Yogurt Franchises.
Note on Rutland Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Rutland.
Should You Buy an Existing Rutland Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Vermont. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Rutland.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Vermont.
Startup Financing Basics
Obtaining startup financing for your Rutland business will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.
For Rutland entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Vermont Angel Investors and our List of Vermont Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Rutland customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Marketing Research discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Next Steps
Most new Rutland businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Rutland and throughout the United States . 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 Rutland, Vermont
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Rutland.
- Resources for Rutland, Vermont Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Rutland 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.
- Rutland, Vermont Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Rutland, Vermont newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Rutland area.
- Rutland, Vermont Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Rutland, Vermont area radio stations.
- Rutland, Vermont Payroll Services - This list includes Rutland, Vermont payroll services, national payroll services for Rutland, and helpful information on choosing a Rutland payroll service.
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