Arkansas Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Harrisburg, Arkansas
Need help starting a business in Harrisburg, Arkansas? We've got the information you need to open a business in Harrisburg.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Harrisburg. 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.
Harrisburg, Arkansas Demographic Information
Harrisburg has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Harrisburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Harrisburg.
Businesses
As a new Harrisburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Harrisburg 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.
Businesses
Naming the Company
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Harrisburg, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Arkansas business.
Forming a Company in Harrisburg, Arkansas
A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating 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 Arkansas, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Arkansas. In fact, you are allowed to 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 lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Harrisburg, Arkansas, our web page covering Incorporating in Arkansas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Arkansas.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Arkansas.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Harrisburg, Arkansas, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Arkansas universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Harrisburg entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Harrisburg. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Harrisburg businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Harrisburg, Arkansas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Harrisburg.
- Resources for Harrisburg, Arkansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Harrisburg entrepreneurs.
- Arkansas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Arkansas.
- Arkansas Small Business Development Center - The Arkansas Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) is a University-based economic development program which provides assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Arkansas via a statewide network of seven offices.
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