Thinking about starting a business in Shelton, Connecticut? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Shelton.
Which Business to Choose?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
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 Opening a Mufflers & Exhaust Systems Service & Repair Business guide or our How to Start a Computer Engineers Business guide.
Don't forget that you are opening your new business in Shelton. Some businesses will do better in Shelton than others. Don't forget to review Shelton demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Shelton, Connecticut Demographic Information
Shelton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Shelton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Shelton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
5265 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1521 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1260 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1062 |
| 50-99 Employees |
423 |
| 100-249 Employees |
270 |
| 250-499 Employees |
117 |
| 500-999 Employees |
36 |
| 1000+ Employees |
27 |
| All Shelton Businesses |
9981 |
As a new Shelton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Shelton 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 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
3 |
| Aircraft Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
17 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Books Printing |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
3 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
14 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
11 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
5 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
29 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
9 |
| Envelope Manufacturing |
1 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
9 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
27 |
| General Automotive Repair |
5 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
23 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
4 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
25 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
22 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Marinas |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
6 |
| Masonry Contractors |
10 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
2 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
13 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
9 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
16 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
26 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
7 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
4 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
12 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
3 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
5 |
| Real Estate Credit |
7 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
9 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Sales Financing |
6 |
| Savings Institutions |
5 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
8 |
| Small Arms Manufacturing |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
13 |
| Software Publishers |
8 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
16 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
7 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
8 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Shelton, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.
Our advice is to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as How to Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Mile High Karate, LLC and Moving Solutions Franchise. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Senior Care Franchises and Meal Preparation Franchises.
Note on Shelton Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Shelton.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Shelton Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Connecticut. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Shelton.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Forming a Company in Shelton, Connecticut
A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Connecticut, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Connecticut. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Why Incorporate in Delaware. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Shelton, Connecticut, our information on Incorporating in Connecticut may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Connecticut.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Shelton 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. Newspaper Advertising 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.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Shelton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Shelton businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Shelton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Shelton, Connecticut
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Shelton.
- Resources for Shelton, Connecticut Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Shelton entrepreneurs.
- Connecticut Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Connecticut.
- Connecticut Small Business Development Center - Central Connecticut State University's Institute of Technology and Business Development (ITBD) supports Connecticut businesses and business-related organizations with training, technology assistance, conferencing services, procurement services and business incubation.
- Shelton, Connecticut Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Shelton, Connecticut newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Shelton area.
- Shelton, Connecticut Payroll Services - This list includes Shelton, Connecticut payroll services, national payroll services for Shelton, and helpful information on choosing a Shelton payroll service.
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