Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

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

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Finding Your Niche in Life.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Metal Shaping Business guide or our Starting a Tuckpointing & Cleaning Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Cottage Grove. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Cottage Grove. A critical consideration is whether Cottage Grove demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Cottage Grove, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1212
5-9 Employees
456
10-19 Employees
264
20-49 Employees
168
50-99 Employees
60
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Cottage Grove Businesses
2160

As a new Cottage Grove entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cottage Grove 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Architectural Services
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Car Washes
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
3
Engineering Services
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
2
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Janitorial Services
2
Landscaping Services
6
Limited-Service Restaurants
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Roofing Contractors
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Used Car Dealers
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Visit the business district of Cottage Grove and it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchise Tradeshows. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Booster Juice and Happy Tails Dog Spa. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tax Preparation Franchises and Donut Shop Franchises.

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

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Having a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.

Startup Financing Basics

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Cottage Grove business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Cottage Grove entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Wisconsin Angel Investors and our List of Wisconsin Venture Capital Firms.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

The best business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Wisconsin universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into networking organizations for Cottage Grove entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

Most new Cottage Grove businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Cottage Grove and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

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

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