Contemplating starting a business in Willimantic, Connecticut? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Willimantic.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is hard work, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
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 Willimantic. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Evaluating Your Idea.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Legal Counsel & Prosecution Business guide or our Opening a Speech & Hearing Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Willimantic. Some businesses will do better in Willimantic than others. Don't forget to review Willimantic demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Willimantic, Connecticut Demographic Information
Willimantic has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Willimantic demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Willimantic.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
515 |
| 5-9 Employees |
309 |
| 10-19 Employees |
174 |
| 20-49 Employees |
105 |
| 50-99 Employees |
39 |
| 100-249 Employees |
12 |
| 250-499 Employees |
6 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Willimantic Businesses |
1163 |
As a new Willimantic entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Willimantic 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 |
|
Abrasive Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
|
Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
|
Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
|
Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
5 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
|
Family Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
12 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
|
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
7 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
15 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
|
Museums |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
11 |
|
Offices of Lawyers |
15 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
Should You Franchise?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Willimantic and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as How to Franchise a Business. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Arabica Coffeehouse and Johnny Bruscos Pizza. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Fitness Franchises and Party Supply Franchises.
Note on Willimantic Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Willimantic.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Getting your Willimantic business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Willimantic entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of Connecticut Angel Investors and our List of Connecticut Venture Capital Firms.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
The best entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Willimantic, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Connecticut universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any Willimantic networking organizations.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Willimantic, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Willimantic businesses to be successful. 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 Willimantic, Connecticut
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Willimantic.
- Resources for Willimantic, Connecticut Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Willimantic 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.
- Willimantic, Connecticut Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Willimantic, Connecticut newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Willimantic area.
- Willimantic, Connecticut Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Willimantic, Connecticut area radio stations.
- Willimantic, Connecticut Payroll Services - This list includes Willimantic, Connecticut payroll services, national payroll services for Willimantic, and helpful information on choosing a Willimantic payroll service.
- Willimantic, Connecticut Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Willimantic, Connecticut, such as business brokers in Willimantic and other helpful information on how to buy a Willimantic business.
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