Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Winter, Wisconsin

Thinking about starting a business in Winter, Wisconsin? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Winter.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Winter. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

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 Opening a Drill Bits Business guide or our Starting a Vinegar Retail Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Winter. If Winter already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Study Winter demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Winter, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
123
5-9 Employees
30
10-19 Employees
12
20-49 Employees
3
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Winter Businesses
168

As a new Winter entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Winter 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
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Electrical Contractors
2
Florists
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Home Centers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Winter, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.

Most business experts recommend that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchise Law. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Baskin-Robbins and Math Squared. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Franchises and Dollar Store Franchises.

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

Naming the Company

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Winter, it's very important that you make sure no Wisconsin company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Obtaining startup financing for your Winter business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Find Start-Up Capital.

For Winter entrepreneurs who need startup capital, browse our List of Wisconsin Angel Investors and our List of Wisconsin Venture Capital Firms.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

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

With your business being located in Winter, Wisconsin, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Wisconsin universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Winter networking organizations.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Winter. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Winter businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Winter, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Winter, Wisconsin

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

More Startup Articles for Wisconsin Cities

Starting a Business in Winneconne
Starting a Business in Wisconsin Rapids

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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