Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Norwalk, Connecticut

Are you starting a business in Norwalk, Connecticut? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Norwalk.

Norwalk, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
25255
5-9 Employees
7665
10-19 Employees
5805
20-49 Employees
3795
50-99 Employees
1020
100-249 Employees
765
250-499 Employees
255
500-999 Employees
75
1000+ Employees
45
All Norwalk Businesses
44680

As a new Norwalk entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Norwalk 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
11
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
2
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
15
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
3
Beauty Salons
23
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
16
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Boat Dealers
10
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Cafeterias
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
11
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
23
Civic and Social Organizations
12
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
11
Commercial Photography
4
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
7
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
7
Curtain and Drapery Mills
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
28
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Direct Mail Advertising
7
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
3
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
9
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electrical Contractors
54
Electronic Shopping
8
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
17
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
5
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
16
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
17
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
5
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
10
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
6
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
3
Full-Service Restaurants
91
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
33
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
6
Graphic Design Services
22
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
5
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
7
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Hunting and Trapping
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
34
Interior Design Services
11
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
2
Investment Advice
22
Janitorial Services
26
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
5
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
5
Landscaping Services
94
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
63
Limousine Service
8
Linen Supply
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
2
Mail-Order Houses
13
Marinas
12
Marketing Consulting Services
31
Masonry Contractors
19
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
4
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
10
Museums
3
Musical Groups and Artists
4
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Natural Gas Distribution
1
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Car Dealers
6
New Housing Operative Builders
3
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
15
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
19
Offices of Chiropractors
14
Offices of Dentists
47
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
12
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Optical Goods Stores
3
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
24
Parking Lots and Garages
9
Periodical Publishers
20
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
7
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
20
Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing
1
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
3
Quick Printing
5
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
4
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Residential Property Managers
4
Residential Remodelers
40
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
7
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
4
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
1
Securities Brokerage
13
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shellfish Fishing
1
Shoe Stores
7
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
14
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
26
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
10
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Tax Preparation Services
4
Taxi Service
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Temporary Help Services
11
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire Dealers
6
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
5
Tour Operators
2
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
16
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Women's Handbag and Purse Manufacturing
2
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Norwalk, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Marketing Support. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Vendstar and Candy Bouquet. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Consulting Franchises and Franchises that Serve Liquor.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Norwalk Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Connecticut. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Norwalk.

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

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Norwalk business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Cash Advances.

For Norwalk entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, you'll want to take a look at our List of Connecticut Angel Investors and our List of Connecticut Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Startup

To grow your Norwalk business, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Avoiding Bad Product Launches is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Norwalk, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Connecticut universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Norwalk entrepreneurs.

Interviews With Norwalk Entrepreneurs

Enjoy these interviews we've had with Norwalk entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Norwalk, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

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

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

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

More Business Startup Guides for Connecticut

Starting a Business in North Haven
Starting a Business in Norwich

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

 

 

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