Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Milford, Connecticut

Need help starting a business in Milford, Connecticut? We've got the information you need to open a business in Milford.

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Most startup ventures fail, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Milford. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Milford, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
51927
5-9 Employees
21527
10-19 Employees
13623
20-49 Employees
10659
50-99 Employees
3534
100-249 Employees
1881
250-499 Employees
399
500-999 Employees
285
1000+ Employees
0
All Milford Businesses
103835

As a new Milford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Milford 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
Advertising Agencies
7
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
3
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
30
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
10
Boat Building
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
4
Bottled Water Manufacturing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
4
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
5
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
3
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
13
Computer Training
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Convenience Stores
8
Couriers
2
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
5
Crown and Closure Manufacturing
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
13
Dental Laboratories
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
20
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
12
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
9
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
62
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
13
General Automotive Repair
19
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
16
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
3
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
29
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
4
Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Janitorial Services
9
Jewelry Stores
13
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
56
Limousine Service
2
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
3
Machine Shops
22
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marketing Consulting Services
7
Masonry Contractors
3
Meat Markets
3
Men's Clothing Stores
6
Metal Stamping
4
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Nail Salons
10
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
16
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
14
Offices of Chiropractors
10
Offices of Lawyers
40
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
6
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Payroll Services
4
Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
7
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
12
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
18
Retail Bakeries
2
Roofing Contractors
4
Sales Financing
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
7
Shellfish Fishing
2
Shoe Stores
14
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Small Arms Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Software Publishers
3
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
8
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
7
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Temporary Help Services
5
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
4
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tobacco Stores
2
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
4
Used Car Dealers
6
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
15
Wood Preservation
1

Should You Buy an Existing Milford Business?

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

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Forming a Company in Milford, Connecticut

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate 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 Connecticut, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Connecticut. 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 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 LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Milford, Connecticut, our information on Incorporating in Connecticut may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Connecticut.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Connecticut.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Milford business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Incubators.

For Milford entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Connecticut Angel Investors and our List of Connecticut Venture Capital Firms.

What's Next?

Most new Milford 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 Milford businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Milford, Connecticut

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

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