Michigan Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Farmington, Michigan

Contemplating starting a business in Farmington, Michigan? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Farmington.

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

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

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Farmington. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Farmington, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
98640
5-9 Employees
32250
10-19 Employees
24855
20-49 Employees
15840
50-99 Employees
5805
100-249 Employees
3735
250-499 Employees
1035
500-999 Employees
405
1000+ Employees
45
All Farmington Businesses
182610

As a new Farmington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Farmington 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
Advertising Agencies
11
Amusement Arcades
2
Architectural Services
18
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
3
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
41
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
17
Book Publishers
3
Book Stores
3
Bowling Centers
5
Business Associations
8
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
12
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
10
Child and Youth Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
6
Claims Adjusting
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
3
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
5
Computer Systems Design Services
54
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
12
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
5
Credit Bureaus
3
Credit Unions
6
Dental Laboratories
11
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
7
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
5
Discount Department Stores
5
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
35
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Employment Placement Agencies
12
Engineering Services
67
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
3
Fine Arts Schools
8
Finish Carpentry Contractors
16
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
21
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Full-Service Restaurants
78
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
General Automotive Repair
14
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
11
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
7
Hardware Stores
5
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
4
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
10
Household Appliance Stores
1
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
3
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
109
Interior Design Services
7
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
17
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Janitorial Services
27
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
2
Jewelry Stores
12
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
37
Language Schools
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
81
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
2
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
4
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
28
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
7
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
1
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
6
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
22
Motion Picture and Video Production
7
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
2
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
9
New Housing Operative Builders
14
Newspaper Publishers
6
Nonresidential Property Managers
17
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Administrative Services
22
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
6
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
105
Offices of Dentists
89
Offices of Lawyers
199
Offices of Optometrists
12
Offices of Other Holding Companies
8
Offices of Podiatrists
13
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
11
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
19
Passenger Car Rental
4
Periodical Publishers
6
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
7
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
16
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
3
Political Organizations
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
4
Prepress Services
1
Professional Employer Organizations
20
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
10
Quick Printing
4
Radio Networks
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
32
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
31
Residential Remodelers
27
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
9
Savings Institutions
17
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
21
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Shoe Stores
7
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
23
Software Publishers
13
Sound Recording Studios
2
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
7
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
3
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
7
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
63
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Women's Clothing Stores
7

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Farmington and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Before Buying a Franchise. 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 TruePresence and Disaster Kleenup. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Carpet Care Franchises and Deli Restaurant Franchises.

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

Naming the Business

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Farmington, it's very important that you make sure no Michigan company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Obtaining startup financing for your Farmington business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

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

For Farmington entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

To grow your Farmington business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising Campaigns is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Farmington, Michigan, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Farmington entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Farmington Entrepreneur Interviews

We're compiling a number of interviews with Farmington entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Farmington and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Farmington, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Farmington, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Farmington, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Farmington 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.

More Business Startup Guides for Michigan

Starting a Business in Escanaba
Starting a Business in Farmington Hills

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

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