Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Southbury, Connecticut

Contemplating starting a business in Southbury, Connecticut? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Southbury.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most new companies 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.

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Southbury. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Southbury, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
880
5-9 Employees
321
10-19 Employees
216
20-49 Employees
87
50-99 Employees
15
100-249 Employees
33
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
3
All Southbury Businesses
1558

As a new Southbury entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Southbury 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
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
9
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Business Associations
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
6
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Claims Adjusting
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
1
Crown and Closure Manufacturing
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
6
Electronic Shopping
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
7
Full-Service Restaurants
14
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
Heating Oil Dealers
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Industrial Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
2
Jewelry Stores
2
Landscaping Services
11
Limited-Service Restaurants
7
Limousine Service
2
Machine Shops
1
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
2
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Nail Salons
3
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
5
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
6
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
13
Offices of Lawyers
13
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
3
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
7
Retail Bakeries
1
Sales Financing
1
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Securities Brokerage
5
Shoe Stores
4
Site Preparation Contractors
7
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Travel Agencies
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
5

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Southbury Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Connecticut. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Southbury.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Choosing a Company Name

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Southbury, it's imperative that you check now that no other Connecticut company is using the business name you want to use.

Bring in Revenues

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Southbury business to do well.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Writing Great Proposals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

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

Given that you are starting a business in Southbury, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Connecticut universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Southbury entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

Most new Southbury businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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 Southbury and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Southbury, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Southbury, Connecticut

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

More Startup Articles for Connecticut Cities

Starting a Business in Sherman
Starting a Business in Southington

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Connecticut
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary