Virginia Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Thinking about starting a business in Harrisonburg, Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Harrisonburg.
Harrisonburg, Virginia Demographic Information
Harrisonburg has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Harrisonburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Harrisonburg.
Businesses
As a new Harrisonburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Harrisonburg 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Harrisonburg and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising and Veterans. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include The Krystal Company and Hangers Cleaners Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Frozen Yogurt Franchises and Kid Friendly Franchises.
Note on Harrisonburg Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Harrisonburg, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Harrisonburg Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Harrisonburg.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Naming the Company
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Harrisonburg, it's critical that you ensure that no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
The Role of the Business Plan
Writing a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Harrisonburg business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Harrisonburg entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Virginia Angel Investors and our List of Virginia Venture Capital Firms.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Harrisonburg, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Harrisonburg entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Harrisonburg, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Harrisonburg businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Harrisonburg, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Harrisonburg.
- Resources for Harrisonburg, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Harrisonburg entrepreneurs.
- Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
- Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
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