Minnesota Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Big Lake, Minnesota

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Big Lake. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. 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.

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 an Acoustical Materials Wholesale & Manufacturer Business guide or our How to Start a Fabric Shop guide.

Don't forget that you are starting a business in Big Lake. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Big Lake. Only by spending some time analyzing Big Lake demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Big Lake, Minnesota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2965
5-9 Employees
750
10-19 Employees
540
20-49 Employees
255
50-99 Employees
60
100-249 Employees
30
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Big Lake Businesses
4600

As a new Big Lake entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Big Lake 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
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
1
Caterers
2
Child Day Care Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Electrical Contractors
7
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
6
General Automotive Repair
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Janitorial Services
6
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
9
Limited-Service Restaurants
5
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
6
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Lawyers
1
Offices of Optometrists
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
5
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Remodelers
5
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Siding Contractors
3
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Veterinary Services
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Big Lake, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. 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 PROSHRED Franchising Corporation and Kilwin's Mackinac Fudge. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Travel and Leisure Franchises and Bath Remodeling Franchises.

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

What About Buying an Existing Big Lake Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Minnesota. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Big Lake.

If you are headed down the path of buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Minnesota.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Big Lake customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Media Kits is a good read to get your marketing thoughts flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Never Give Up

You have a dream -- starting a business in Big Lake. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Big Lake businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Big Lake, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Big Lake, Minnesota

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Minnesota

Starting a Business in Benson
Starting a Business in Biwabik

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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