Pennsylvania Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Milford, Pennsylvania

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most new ventures do not succeed, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, 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 Milford. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a 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. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Mongolian Restaurant guide or our Starting a Phone Communications Services Residential Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Milford. Some businesses will do better in Milford than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Milford demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Milford, Pennsylvania 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
12217
5-9 Employees
4218
10-19 Employees
2166
20-49 Employees
1026
50-99 Employees
285
100-249 Employees
114
250-499 Employees
57
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Milford Businesses
20083

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
Architectural Services
1
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
5
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Business Associations
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
4
Engineering Services
2
Family Planning Centers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Full-Service Restaurants
13
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
5
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
8
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
1
Jewelry Stores
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
8
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Meat Markets
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
2
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
6
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Periodical Publishers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Roofing Contractors
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Used Car Dealers
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
2

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Visit the business district of Milford and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including The Disadvantages of Franchise Ownership. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include AristoCare and California Closet Company, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as ATM Franchises and Home Repair Franchises.

Note on Milford Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Milford, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Raising Funding for Your Startup

Getting your Milford business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Milford entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Pennsylvania Angel Investors and our List of Pennsylvania Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Milford business to do well.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Next Steps

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Milford businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Milford, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Milford, Pennsylvania

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

More Business Startup Guides for Pennsylvania

Starting a Business in Mifflintown
Starting a Business in Millersburg

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Pennsylvania
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