Minnesota Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Wabasha, Minnesota

Are you starting a business in Wabasha, Minnesota? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Wabasha.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Most startup companies don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, 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:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Wabasha. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. 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?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Document Preparation Services Business guide or our Starting a Stencils & Stencil Supplies Manufacturers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Wabasha has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Wabasha than others. Make sure you fully understand Wabasha demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Wabasha, Minnesota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
243
5-9 Employees
87
10-19 Employees
36
20-49 Employees
33
50-99 Employees
6
100-249 Employees
3
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Wabasha Businesses
411

As a new Wabasha entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wabasha 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
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
2
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
1
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Florists
1
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
2
Logging
1
Marinas
3
Masonry Contractors
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
New Car Dealers
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Lawyers
2
Offices of Optometrists
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Residential Remodelers
2
Roofing Contractors
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Skiing Facilities
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1

Selecting a Name For Your Venture

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.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

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

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Wabasha, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only Minnesota company using the business name you have chosen.

Company Formation in Wabasha, Minnesota

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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. Just because you are starting a business in Minnesota, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Minnesota. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Incorporating Online. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Wabasha, Minnesota, our information on Incorporating in Minnesota may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Minnesota.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Having a business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Minnesota.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Wabasha, Minnesota, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Minnesota universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking groups or organizations in which Wabasha entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

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

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Wabasha and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Wabasha 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 Wabasha, Minnesota

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

More Business Startup Guides for Minnesota

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