Texas Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Longview, Texas
Are you starting a business in Longview, Texas? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Longview.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Most new businesses fail, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Longview. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Evaluating Your Idea.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Diapers & Diaper Services Business guide or our How to Start a Fuel Oils Commercial & Industrial Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Longview. If Longview already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Make sure you fully understand Longview demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Longview, Texas Demographic Information
Longview has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Longview demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Longview.
Businesses
As a new Longview entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Longview 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 Franchising?
Examine a list of Longview businesses and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Eliza J and Golf Etc. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Education and Tutoring Franchises and Payday Loan Franchises.
Note on Longview Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Longview.
Choosing a Business Name
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.
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?
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Longview, it's imperative that you check now that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Longview, Texas
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The primary advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Texas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Texas. As it turns out, 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's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as C Corp Versus S Corp. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Longview, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.
The Art of Selling
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Longview business to do well.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
What's Next?
Most new Longview businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Longview and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Longview 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 Longview, Texas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Longview.
- Resources for Longview, Texas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Longview entrepreneurs.
- Texas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Texas.
- Houston, Texas Small Business Development Center - Serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 business consulting and training centers, the Small Business Development Center Network contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Texas Gulf Coast communities.
- North Texas Small Business Development Center - The NTSBDC Network promotes small business success by providing management education.
- Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center - The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center was established with Texas Tech University in 1986. This regional program serves over ninety thousand square miles including ninety-five counties with a population base of approximately 1.8 million people. This region is serviced by six centers located in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Stephenville, and Wichita Falls.
- South-West Texas Border�SBDC Network Texas Small Business Development Center - The South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community.
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