Washington Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Port Orchard, Washington

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

Which Business to Choose?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Chandeliers Business guide or our Starting a Child Foster Care Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Port Orchard. Some businesses will do better in Port Orchard than others. Don't forget to review Port Orchard demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Port Orchard, Washington Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2063
5-9 Employees
609
10-19 Employees
369
20-49 Employees
255
50-99 Employees
51
100-249 Employees
15
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Port Orchard Businesses
3368

As a new Port Orchard entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Port Orchard 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
2
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
9
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
16
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
4
Boat Dealers
3
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
7
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
13
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Computer Training
1
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
2
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
10
Electrical Contractors
24
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
9
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
1
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
9
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
27
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
7
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
4
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
2
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Health Care Services
1
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
11
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Janitorial Services
9
Jewelry Stores
2
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
28
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
25
Limousine Service
1
Logging
5
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Media Buying Agencies
1
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Nail Salons
2
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
8
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Chiropractors
12
Offices of Dentists
20
Offices of Lawyers
31
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
3
Public Relations Agencies
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
4
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
3
Roofing Contractors
9
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
2
Securities Brokerage
5
Septic Tank and Related Services
3
Ship Building and Repairing
2
Shoe Stores
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
13
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators
1
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Tax Preparation Services
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire Dealers
3
Tobacco Stores
2
Tour Operators
2
Travel Agencies
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
6
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
1

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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Port Orchard, it's very important that you make sure no other Washington company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

Writing a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Presentations. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Washington.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Port Orchard 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.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Port Orchard entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Washington Angel Investors and our List of Washington Venture Capital Firms.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in Port Orchard, Washington, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Washington universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Port Orchard entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Never Give Up

You have a dream -- starting a business in Port Orchard. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

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

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Port Orchard, Washington

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

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Starting a Business in Port Townsend

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