Michigan Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Buchanan, Michigan

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before you get too far along in the process, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Buchanan. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Exotic Body Art Business guide or our How to Start a Rental Stores & Yards Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Buchanan. Some businesses will do better in Buchanan than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Buchanan demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Buchanan, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1580
5-9 Employees
645
10-19 Employees
240
20-49 Employees
135
50-99 Employees
75
100-249 Employees
45
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Buchanan Businesses
2720

As a new Buchanan entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Buchanan 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
2
Beauty Salons
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Business Associations
1
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
1
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Convenience Stores
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Engineering Services
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Full-Service Restaurants
7
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
4
Janitorial Services
3
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
2
Machine Shops
2
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Metal Heat Treating
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
2
Offices of Optometrists
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Payroll Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
2
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Tire Dealers
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Buchanan, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Tradeshows. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Paul Revere's Pizza and Complete Music. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Buchanan Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Buchanan, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Buchanan Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Michigan. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Buchanan.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Forming a Company in Buchanan, Michigan

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

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Michigan, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Michigan. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Buchanan, Michigan, our information on Incorporating in Michigan may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Michigan.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Buchanan business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Buchanan entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Buchanan. 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 Buchanan businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Buchanan entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Buchanan, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Buchanan, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Buchanan entrepreneurs.
  • Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
  • Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Michigan

Starting a Business in Brown City
Starting a Business in Cadillac

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

 

 

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