Pennsylvania Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

Need help starting a business in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania? We've got the information you need to open a business in Upper Darby.

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1272
5-9 Employees
366
10-19 Employees
291
20-49 Employees
147
50-99 Employees
42
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
3
All Upper Darby Businesses
2160

As a new Upper Darby entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Upper Darby 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
14
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
3
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Consumer Lending
3
Convenience Stores
10
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
5
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
25
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Engineering Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
2
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
18
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
22
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
2
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
15
Janitorial Services
11
Jewelry Stores
3
Landscaping Services
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
32
Locksmiths
2
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Meat Markets
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Mobile Food Services
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
3
Office Administrative Services
5
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Lawyers
15
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Packing and Crating
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Quick Printing
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
3
Residential Remodelers
3
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
2
Savings Institutions
3
Shoe Stores
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
4
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Temporary Help Services
4
Temporary Shelters
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
9
Women's Clothing Stores
13

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Upper Darby, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying a Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Upper Darby Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Upper Darby.

Naming the Company

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Upper Darby, it's critical that you ensure that no Pennsylvania company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Forming a Company in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

It's essential that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Pennsylvania, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Pennsylvania. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Why Incorporate in Delaware. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, our web page covering Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.

Promoting Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Upper Darby customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Point-of-Sale Displays is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Upper Darby business, you need to focus on sales.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling Products on eBay is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Upper Darby, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Upper Darby and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Upper Darby entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Pennsylvania

Starting a Business in Uniontown
Starting a Business in Valley View

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

 

 

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