Assess Competitors

Well in advance of opening an advertising and design agency in your area, it's essential to determine what the competition looks like. Use the link below to generate a list of competitors in your city. After following the link, enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of advertising and design agencies in your area.

• Get a List of Nearby Advertising and Design Agencies

Is the established competition doing a good job? It's important to understand their strengths and weaknesses and think through how you'll stake up against those established businesses.

Learn from Others Who Are Already In This Space

After you've evaluated your local competitors, it's a smart move to have a conversation with someone who is in the business. It's very unlikely that the local competition will talk to you. The last thing they want to do is help you to be a better competitor.

Fortunately, somebody who runs an advertising and design agency in a different city may be more than happy to give you a few tips, after they realize you reside far away from them and won't be stealing their local customers. Indeed, many experienced entrepreneurs enjoy offering advice to startup entrepreneurs. If you are persistent, you can find a business mentor who is willing to help you out.

So, what can you do to find an advertising and design agency owner who is willing to talk to you but doesn't live nearby?

It's easy. Here's a link you can use to find a mentor outside of your area.

• Find Advertising and Design Agency Owners Who Might Advise You

Don't Forget About Franchising As an Option

The probabilities on your avoiding failure in business increase if you purchase a franchise in lieu of doing everything yourself.

If you are thinking about opening an advertising and design agency, you ought to check out whether there are good franchise opportunities available that might make your life much easier.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

• Explore Franchising Opportunities