New York Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Olean, New York

Need help starting a business in Olean, New York? We've got the information you need to open a business in Olean.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

Running your own business is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?

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:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Olean. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Fabrics Laminating & Bonding Business guide or our Starting a Pewter & Pewterware Retail Business guide.

Always keep in mind that Olean is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Olean than others. Study Olean demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Olean, New York Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2046
5-9 Employees
868
10-19 Employees
630
20-49 Employees
408
50-99 Employees
102
100-249 Employees
84
250-499 Employees
30
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
0
All Olean Businesses
4180

As a new Olean entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Olean 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
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Beauty Salons
5
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Bowling Centers
2
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Computer and Software Stores
1
Consumer Lending
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
4
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
11
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing
2
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
5
General Automotive Repair
12
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Hardware Stores
2
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Home Centers
4
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
13
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
6
Landscaping Services
6
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
19
Limousine Service
2
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
2
Machine Shops
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
6
Newspaper Publishers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
6
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
13
Offices of Lawyers
16
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Radio Stations
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Residential Remodelers
5
Roofing Contractors
2
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Savings Institutions
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
4
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
5
Software Publishers
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Taxi Service
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tire Dealers
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
6
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
3
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

Visit the business district of Olean and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Disaster Kleenup and Grandy's, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tax Preparation Franchises and Child Safety Franchises.

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

Promoting Your New Company

To rise above the crowd in Olean and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Direct Mail Costs is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Selling Tips

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Olean business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Never Give Up

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

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

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

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in New York

Starting a Business in Old Westbury
Starting a Business in Oneida

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