Washington Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Seattle, Washington
Are you starting a business in Seattle, Washington? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Seattle.
Which Business to Choose?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Data Processing Equipment Maintenance Business guide or our Starting a Decals Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.
Remember that Seattle is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Seattle than others. A critical consideration is whether Seattle demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Seattle, Washington Demographic Information
Seattle has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Seattle demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Seattle.
Businesses
As a new Seattle entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Seattle 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
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Seattle Business?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Washington. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Seattle.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Seattle customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.
We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. PR Versus Advertising is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Seattle or are selling to customers throughout Washington, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Closing Sales 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.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Seattle, Washington, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Washington educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Seattle networking organizations.
Seattle Entrepreneur Interviews
Enjoy these interviews we've had with Seattle entrepreneurs.
- Interview with Matt McCormick, Founder of Jet City Devices
- Interview with The Green Year Co-Founder Lynn Colwell
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Seattle. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
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 Seattle and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Seattle 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 Seattle, Washington
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Seattle.
- Resources for Seattle, Washington Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Seattle entrepreneurs.
- Washington Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Washington.
- Washington Small Business Development Center - Washington Small Business Development Centers promote economic vitality by providing advice, training and research to Washington entrepreneurs and existing Washington businesses.
More Business Startup Guides for Washington
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