Montana Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Billings, Montana

Are you starting a business in Billings, Montana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Billings.

Billings, Montana Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
23865
5-9 Employees
8226
10-19 Employees
5946
20-49 Employees
4011
50-99 Employees
1224
100-249 Employees
468
250-499 Employees
99
500-999 Employees
27
1000+ Employees
27
All Billings Businesses
43893

As a new Billings entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Billings 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
Ambulance Services
3
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
4
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Apprenticeship Training
2
Architectural Services
24
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
10
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
34
Automotive Transmission Repair
7
Baked Goods Stores
4
Beauty Salons
38
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Beet Sugar Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
11
Breweries
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
13
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
15
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
15
Casino Hotels
1
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
5
Caterers
7
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
66
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
18
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
7
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
7
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
7
Computer Systems Design Services
10
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Consumer Lending
10
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
5
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
2
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
3
Couriers
9
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
18
Dental Laboratories
7
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
4
Discount Department Stores
4
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
3
Drafting Services
5
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
42
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
47
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Environmental Consulting Services
8
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
21
Family Planning Centers
4
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
13
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
21
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
11
Flooring Contractors
9
Florists
7
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
5
Food Service Contractors
10
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
16
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
93
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
19
General Automotive Repair
52
General Freight Trucking, Local
14
General Rental Centers
6
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
19
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
7
Grantmaking Foundations
7
Graphic Design Services
6
Hardware Stores
9
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
11
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
4
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
13
Household Appliance Stores
7
Industrial Building Construction
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
109
Interior Design Services
5
Internet Service Providers
2
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
11
Janitorial Services
54
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
15
Land Subdivision
12
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
53
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
14
Limited-Service Restaurants
112
Linen Supply
2
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
2
Locksmiths
3
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
10
Mail-Order Houses
3
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
5
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Meat Markets
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
2
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
3
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
6
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
8
Motion Picture and Video Production
5
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
4
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Nail Salons
5
Natural Gas Distribution
2
Natural Gas Liquid Extraction
1
New Car Dealers
18
New Housing Operative Builders
16
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
15
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Administrative Services
12
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
8
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
10
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
53
Offices of Dentists
71
Offices of Lawyers
108
Offices of Optometrists
17
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
16
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
31
Parking Lots and Garages
3
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
2
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
8
Petroleum Refineries
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
11
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
4
Private Mail Centers
7
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
7
Racetracks
2
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
6
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
12
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Remediation Services
4
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
9
Residential Remodelers
42
Retail Bakeries
5
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
6
Roofing Contractors
6
Satellite Telecommunications
2
Savings Institutions
3
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
3
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
7
School and Employee Bus Transportation
3
Securities Brokerage
31
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
20
Siding Contractors
16
Sign Manufacturing
6
Site Preparation Contractors
20
Skiing Facilities
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
25
Solid Waste Collection
2
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
17
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Support Activities for Metal Mining
1
Tax Preparation Services
16
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
3
Telemarketing Bureaus
4
Telephone Answering Services
2
Television Broadcasting
5
Temporary Shelters
3
Testing Laboratories
6
Textile Machinery Manufacturing
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
6
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
3
Tire Dealers
14
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
12
Tour Operators
2
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
7
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
37
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Used Merchandise Stores
18
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
17
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
8
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
26
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
11
Women's Clothing Stores
19
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Billings Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Montana. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Billings.

If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Billings, it's very important that you make sure no Montana company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Forming a Company in Billings, Montana

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating 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 Montana, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Montana. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Billings, Montana, our web page covering Incorporating in Montana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Montana.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Billings business, you need a solid marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Working with an Advertising Agency is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Billings or are selling to customers throughout Montana, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Now It's Up To You

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

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 Billings and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Billings, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Billings, Montana

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Montana

Starting a Business in Bigfork
Starting a Business in Boulder

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

 

 

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