Colorado Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Golden, Colorado

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

Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?

Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to go into business for yourself?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Golden. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. 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.

Golden, Colorado Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
12915
5-9 Employees
3339
10-19 Employees
2655
20-49 Employees
1548
50-99 Employees
648
100-249 Employees
360
250-499 Employees
81
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
36
All Golden Businesses
21600

As a new Golden entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Golden 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
3
Amusement Arcades
1
Architectural Services
12
Art Dealers
6
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
22
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
6
Breweries
2
Building Inspection Services
7
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Caterers
6
Child and Youth Services
3
Child Day Care Services
13
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
9
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
5
Commercial Photography
2
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
42
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Couriers
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
33
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
4
Digital Printing
2
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
10
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Educational Support Services
6
Electric Power Distribution
8
Electrical Contractors
38
Electronic Shopping
5
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Engineering Services
102
Environmental Consulting Services
20
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
17
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
14
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
5
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
7
Food Service Contractors
5
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
6
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Full-Service Restaurants
60
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
General Automotive Repair
22
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
14
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Gold Ore Mining
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
11
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
6
Hardware Stores
2
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Building Construction
4
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
31
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Service Providers
1
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
10
Janitorial Services
13
Jewelry Stores
11
Land Subdivision
5
Landscaping Services
21
Language Schools
2
Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
6
Limited-Service Restaurants
41
Limousine Service
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Mail-Order Houses
3
Marketing Consulting Services
24
Masonry Contractors
12
Meat Markets
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Miscellaneous Intermediation
4
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
17
Motion Picture and Video Production
8
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
11
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
4
Office Administrative Services
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
15
Offices of Chiropractors
6
Offices of Dentists
25
Offices of Lawyers
34
Offices of Other Holding Companies
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
7
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
7
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
3
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
7
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Portfolio Management
8
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
3
Quick Printing
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Remediation Services
6
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
31
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Sales Financing
4
Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing
1
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
15
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
20
Skiing Facilities
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
13
Software Publishers
7
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Sporting Goods Stores
15
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Support Activities for Metal Mining
1
Tax Preparation Services
4
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Testing Laboratories
6
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Travel Agencies
10
Truss Manufacturing
1
Uranium-Radium-Vanadium Ore Mining
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
27
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
17

Startup Financing Basics

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Golden business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Golden entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of Colorado Angel Investors and our List of Colorado Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

To rise above the crowd in Golden and build your business, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising on Google is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Selling Tips

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

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Anticipating Prospect Responses offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Golden, Colorado, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Colorado universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into networking organizations for Golden entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Golden businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Golden, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Golden, Colorado

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

More Startup Articles for Colorado Cities

Starting a Business in Glenwood Springs
Starting a Business in Granby

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

 

 

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