Wisconsin Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Are you starting a business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Oshkosh.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
Most new businesses don't make it, 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.
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Oshkosh. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- 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. 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.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin Demographic Information
Oshkosh has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Oshkosh demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Oshkosh.
Businesses
As a new Oshkosh entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Oshkosh 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.
Businesses
Should You Franchise?
Examine a list of Oshkosh businesses and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Juan's Mexicali and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cell Phone Franchises and Automotive Services Franchises.
Note on Oshkosh Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Oshkosh, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Forming a Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
A critical step is ensuring 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.
When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Wisconsin, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Wisconsin. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
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 Avoiding Personal Liability in Business. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, our web page covering Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
Creating a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Expert Advice on Business Plans. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To rise above the crowd in Oshkosh and build your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Marketing Basics discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Never Give Up
Most new Oshkosh 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 Oshkosh 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 Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Oshkosh.
- Resources for Oshkosh, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Oshkosh entrepreneurs.
- Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Small Business Development Center - Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers offer a variety of educational services to small-businesses. The low-cost courses, seminars, and workshops cover both basic and complex topics, from marketing to management techniques to business plan development.
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