Tennessee Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Rutledge, Tennessee
Are you starting a business in Rutledge, Tennessee? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Rutledge.
Rutledge, Tennessee Demographic Information
Rutledge has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Rutledge demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Rutledge.
Businesses
As a new Rutledge entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Rutledge 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
Naming the Company
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Rutledge, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Tennessee business.
Forming a Company in Rutledge, Tennessee
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating 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 Tennessee, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Tennessee. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
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 ESOP Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Rutledge, Tennessee, our web page covering Incorporating in Tennessee may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Tennessee.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Having a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Tennessee.
Marketing Your New Business
Whether your goal is to attract Rutledge customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.
We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Pricing and Positioning is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Rutledge, Tennessee, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Tennessee universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Rutledge entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Rutledge. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Rutledge and throughout the United States . 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 Rutledge, Tennessee
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Rutledge.
- Resources for Rutledge, Tennessee Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Rutledge entrepreneurs.
- Tennessee Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Tennessee.
- Tennessee Small Business Development Center - If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or you are thinking about starting a new business, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) is ready to help you every step of the way!
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