Minnesota Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Dawson, Minnesota

Thinking about starting a business in Dawson, Minnesota? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Dawson.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Dawson. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. 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.

Dawson, Minnesota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1152
5-9 Employees
648
10-19 Employees
216
20-49 Employees
72
50-99 Employees
72
100-249 Employees
48
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Dawson Businesses
2208

As a new Dawson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dawson 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
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Convenience Stores
1
Credit Unions
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Florists
2
Full-Service Restaurants
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
2
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Landscaping Services
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Meat Markets
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
New Car Dealers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Soybean Processing
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Veterinary Services
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Dawson, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include ColorChef Custom Painters and Interstate Batteries. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Travel and Leisure Franchises and Bath Remodeling Franchises.

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

Should You Buy an Existing Dawson Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Minnesota. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Dawson.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

Picking a Company Name

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.

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.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Dawson, it's critical that you ensure that you will be the only Minnesota company using the business name you have chosen.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Dawson business, you need to focus on sales.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Mastering the Complex Sale is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Good business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Dawson, Minnesota, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Minnesota universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into Dawson networking organizations.

Never Give Up

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

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

We are here to help Dawson businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Dawson 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 Dawson, Minnesota

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

More Startup Articles for Minnesota Cities

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Starting a Business in Deer River

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

 

 

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