Minnesota Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Need help starting a business in Belle Plaine, Minnesota? We've got the information you need to open a business in Belle Plaine.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Belle Plaine. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Belle Plaine, Minnesota Demographic Information

Belle Plaine has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Belle Plaine demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Belle Plaine.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1116
5-9 Employees
297
10-19 Employees
243
20-49 Employees
153
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
9
250-499 Employees
9
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Belle Plaine Businesses
1827

As a new Belle Plaine entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Belle Plaine 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
1
Child Day Care Services
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Interior Design Services
1
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
2
Masonry Contractors
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Dentists
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Solid Waste Collection
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wood Preservation
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Belle Plaine, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Our recommendation is that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Scams. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Stone Mountain / GCO Flooring Outlets and Budget Blinds. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Wine Franchises and Framing Store Franchises.

Note on Belle Plaine Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Belle Plaine.

Naming the Company

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Belle Plaine, it's critical that you ensure that no other Minnesota company is using the business name you want to use.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Presentations. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Minnesota.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Belle Plaine business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Belle Plaine entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Minnesota Angel Investors and our List of Minnesota Venture Capital Firms.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Belle Plaine, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Belle Plaine 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 Belle Plaine, Minnesota

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Belle Plaine.

More Startup Articles for Minnesota Cities

Starting a Business in Belgrade
Starting a Business in Bemidji

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Minnesota
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary