Texas Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Midland, Texas

Thinking about starting a business in Midland, Texas? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Midland.

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

Most new companies fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Midland. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Midland, Texas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
51936
5-9 Employees
19200
10-19 Employees
11592
20-49 Employees
8040
50-99 Employees
2904
100-249 Employees
1224
250-499 Employees
120
500-999 Employees
96
1000+ Employees
72
All Midland Businesses
95184

As a new Midland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Midland 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
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
2
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
4
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
15
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
22
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
15
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Dealers
1
Bottled Water Manufacturing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
12
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
5
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
6
Child Day Care Services
23
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
13
Computer Training
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
10
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Couriers
6
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
8
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
3
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
44
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
16
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
6
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electrical Contractors
34
Electronic Auctions
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
10
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
61
Environmental Consulting Services
10
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
9
Family Clothing Stores
16
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
10
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
15
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
5
Florists
5
Food Service Contractors
5
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
8
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Full-Service Restaurants
86
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
19
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
10
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
9
Graphic Design Services
3
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
3
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
18
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
6
Household Appliance Stores
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
51
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Service Providers
5
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
12
Janitorial Services
23
Jewelry Stores
13
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
22
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Libraries and Archives
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
91
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
3
Machine Shops
8
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Masonry Contractors
17
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
7
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
2
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
44
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
5
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
5
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Natural Gas Liquid Extraction
3
New Car Dealers
14
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
11
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
38
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
10
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
49
Offices of Chiropractors
13
Offices of Dentists
46
Offices of Lawyers
64
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Optical Goods Stores
7
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Payroll Services
3
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
12
Photography Studios, Portrait
11
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
4
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
15
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
4
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
3
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
5
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
4
Real Estate Credit
7
Remediation Services
4
Residential Property Managers
8
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
17
Sales Financing
2
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
14
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
2
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
21
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
13
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
9
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
2
Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Sports Teams and Clubs
3
Tax Preparation Services
17
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
3
Telephone Answering Services
1
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Temporary Help Services
16
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
5
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Travel Agencies
4
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
10
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Used Merchandise Stores
6
Vending Machine Operators
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
6
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
12
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Midland Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Texas. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Midland.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Choosing a Company Name

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.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Midland, it's imperative that you check now that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Midland, Texas

It's very important 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.

Incorporation 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. Just because you are starting a business in Texas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Texas. 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's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Midland, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Texas.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Midland, Texas, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Texas universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Midland entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Midland businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Midland businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Midland 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 Midland, Texas

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

More Business Startup Guides for Texas

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