Oregon Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Salem, Oregon
Contemplating starting a business in Salem, Oregon? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Salem.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
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:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Salem. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- 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. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Free Business Ideas.
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 How to Start an Eating Disorders Counseling Business guide or our Opening a Swimming Pools Consulting & Design Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Salem. Some businesses will do better in Salem than others. Don't forget to review Salem demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Salem, Oregon Demographic Information
Salem has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Salem demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Salem.
Businesses
As a new Salem entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Salem 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?
Visit the business district of Salem and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. 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 Famous Sam's Inc. and Intrivah Fitness. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Business Services Franchises and Pet Franchises.
Note on Salem Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Salem, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Having a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write 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 Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Oregon.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Getting your Salem business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Salem entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Oregon Angel Investors and our List of Oregon Venture Capital Firms.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Salem or are selling to customers throughout Oregon, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Good Sales Strategies is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Salem. 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Salem and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Salem, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Salem, Oregon
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Salem.
- Resources for Salem, Oregon Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Salem entrepreneurs.
- Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oregon.
- Oregon Small Business Development Center - Oregon Small Business Development Centers use a client-centered approach to deliver counseling, training, information and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management. There is no fee for their assistance.
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