Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in New Canaan, Connecticut

Contemplating starting a business in New Canaan, Connecticut? We walk you through the process of opening a business in New Canaan.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most startup ventures fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, 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.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in New Canaan. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit 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.

Don't forget that your new business will be in New Canaan. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in New Canaan. Study New Canaan demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

New Canaan, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1323
5-9 Employees
351
10-19 Employees
252
20-49 Employees
102
50-99 Employees
33
100-249 Employees
15
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All New Canaan Businesses
2079

As a new New Canaan entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in New Canaan 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
13
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
6
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Book Publishers
2
Business Associations
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Car Washes
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
6
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Collection Agencies
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
2
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Educational Support Services
4
Electrical Contractors
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
2
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
5
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
8
Food Service Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
22
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
5
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
10
Interior Design Services
9
Investment Advice
7
Janitorial Services
4
Jewelry Stores
5
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
23
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
6
Limousine Service
5
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Media Buying Agencies
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
5
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
8
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
4
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
13
Offices of Lawyers
23
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Portfolio Management
17
Private Mail Centers
1
Public Relations Agencies
3
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
6
Residential Remodelers
11
Retail Bakeries
1
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
2
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Travel Agencies
2
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Women's Clothing Stores
8

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in New Canaan, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only Connecticut company using the business name you have chosen.

Building Up Your Sales

Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new New Canaan business to do well.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Effective Sales Presentations 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.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in New Canaan, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Connecticut educational institutions. We also recommend you look into New Canaan networking organizations.

Next Steps

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in New Canaan and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new New Canaan 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 New Canaan, Connecticut

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

More Business Startup Guides for Connecticut

Starting a Business in New Britain
Starting a Business in New Fairfield

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Connecticut
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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