New York Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Latham, New York

Are you starting a business in Latham, New York? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Latham.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Remember that your new business will be in Latham. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Latham. A critical consideration is whether Latham demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Latham, New York Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4290
5-9 Employees
2070
10-19 Employees
1593
20-49 Employees
1188
50-99 Employees
675
100-249 Employees
270
250-499 Employees
90
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
0
All Latham Businesses
10185

As a new Latham entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Latham 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
2
Architectural Services
3
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Baked Goods Stores
3
Beauty Salons
18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
2
Caterers
3
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Computer Training
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
7
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
9
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
14
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
13
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
5
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Floor Covering Stores
1
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
9
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
7
Full-Service Restaurants
30
Furniture Stores
8
General Automotive Repair
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
1
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
45
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
6
Janitorial Services
1
Jewelry Stores
8
Junior Colleges
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
7
Limited-Service Restaurants
37
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Meat Markets
2
Medical Laboratories
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
11
New Housing Operative Builders
1
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
News Syndicates
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
5
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
22
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
16
Offices of Lawyers
28
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paging
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Rental
7
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
15
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
7
Residential Remodelers
4
Roofing Contractors
1
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
11
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Shoe Stores
6
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
6
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
1
Sporting Goods Stores
13
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
3
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
8
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
7

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Latham, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Evaluating Franchise Opportunities. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Latham Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Latham.

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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Latham, it's very important that you make sure no other New York company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Latham, New York

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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 New York, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in New York. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Corporate Formalities. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Latham, New York, our information on Incorporating in New York may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in New York.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Latham business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as SBIR Funding.

For Latham entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of New York Angel Investors and our List of New York Venture Capital Firms.

Never Give Up

You have a dream -- starting a business in Latham. 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Latham and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Latham entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Latham, New York

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

More Startup Articles for New York Cities

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