Pennsylvania Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in York, Pennsylvania

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in York. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • 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. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

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? 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 an Accounting and Finance Software Company guide or our How to Start a Weight Loss & Control Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in York. Some businesses will do better in York than others. Study York demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

York, Pennsylvania Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
30864
5-9 Employees
16452
10-19 Employees
11952
20-49 Employees
9090
50-99 Employees
3708
100-249 Employees
2268
250-499 Employees
702
500-999 Employees
126
1000+ Employees
72
All York Businesses
75234

As a new York entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in York 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
1
Advertising Agencies
12
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
2
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
10
Armored Car Services
1
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
20
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
7
Beauty Salons
71
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
4
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
17
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
9
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
8
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
6
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
7
Cable and Other Program Distribution
4
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
4
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Cement Manufacturing
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
6
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
11
Child Day Care Services
29
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
42
Clothing Accessories Stores
7
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
18
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Community Food Services
3
Computer and Software Stores
8
Computer Systems Design Services
19
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
4
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
15
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
19
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
20
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dental Laboratories
7
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Discount Department Stores
6
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
30
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
11
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
6
Electrical Contractors
26
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
36
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Fabric Coating Mills
1
Family Clothing Stores
8
Family Planning Centers
3
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
9
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
13
Fish and Seafood Markets
5
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Floor Covering Stores
11
Flooring Contractors
12
Florists
13
Flour Milling
1
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
2
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
8
Food Service Contractors
18
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
12
Full-Service Restaurants
115
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
9
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
General Automotive Repair
55
General Freight Trucking, Local
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
4
General Warehousing and Storage
8
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
20
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
9
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
4
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Historical Sites
2
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
8
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
5
Home Health Care Services
12
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Household Appliance Stores
6
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
3
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
9
Iron and Steel Mills
2
Janitorial Services
26
Jewelry Stores
33
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
36
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Libraries and Archives
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
135
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
20
Mail-Order Houses
4
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marketing Consulting Services
6
Masonry Contractors
4
Materials Recovery Facilities
2
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Metal Stamping
3
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Nail Salons
9
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Car Dealers
24
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
News Syndicates
1
Nonclay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
11
Office Administrative Services
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
21
Offices of Dentists
78
Offices of Lawyers
87
Offices of Optometrists
12
Offices of Other Holding Companies
9
Offices of Podiatrists
10
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
13
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Optical Goods Stores
13
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
7
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
6
Paperboard Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Passenger Car Rental
1
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
9
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
9
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
29
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
4
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
2
Political Organizations
2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
10
Prepress Services
6
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Organizations
4
Quick Printing
2
Radio Networks
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
15
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
13
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
2
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
20
Sawmills
1
Securities Brokerage
15
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheer Hosiery Mills
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
7
Shoe Stores
22
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
32
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
6
Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators
1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
14
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
5
Telephone Answering Services
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Shelters
6
Testing Laboratories
7
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
5
Tire Dealers
13
Tire Retreading
1
Tobacco Stores
3
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
12
Truss Manufacturing
4
Used Car Dealers
28
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
19
Women's Clothing Stores
22
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

Forming a Company in York, Pennsylvania

A critical step is ensuring that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

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. If you are starting a business in Pennsylvania, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Pennsylvania. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in York, Pennsylvania, our information on Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.

Raising Money for Your Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your York business is not an easy task. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For York entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Pennsylvania Angel Investors and our List of Pennsylvania Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your York business, you need a great marketing plan.

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

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in York, Pennsylvania, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Pennsylvania universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into York networking organizations.

Interviews With York Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with York entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Never Give Up

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

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