Louisiana Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Houma, Louisiana
Are you starting a business in Houma, Louisiana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Houma.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
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 Houma. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Which Business to Choose?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Patent & Proprietary Pharmaceuticals Business guide or our How to Start a Stereo Equipment Installation & Service Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Houma has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Houma than others. Don't forget to review Houma demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Houma, Louisiana Demographic Information
Houma has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Houma demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Houma.
Businesses
As a new Houma entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Houma 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
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Houma Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Louisiana. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Houma.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Forming a Company in Houma, Louisiana
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will separate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Louisiana, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Louisiana. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Why Incorporate in Delaware. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Houma, Louisiana, our information on Incorporating in Louisiana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Louisiana.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Houma business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.
For Houma entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Louisiana Angel Investors and our List of Louisiana Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Houma or are selling to customers throughout Louisiana, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Houma. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Houma businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Houma, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Houma, Louisiana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Houma.
- Resources for Houma, Louisiana Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Houma entrepreneurs.
- Louisiana Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Louisiana.
- Louisiana Small Business Development Center - The Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC Network) provides low- or no-cost guidance and training for small business owners and potential owners.
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