Louisiana Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Alexandria, Louisiana
Are you starting a business in Alexandria, Louisiana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Alexandria.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before quitting your day job, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Alexandria. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Which Business to Choose?
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 How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting an Auto Smog Devices Business guide or our Opening a Men's Shirts Repair Business guide.
Don't forget that Alexandria is the place where you are starting a business. If Alexandria already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Only by spending some time analyzing Alexandria demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Alexandria, Louisiana Demographic Information
Alexandria has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Alexandria demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Alexandria.
Businesses
As a new Alexandria entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Alexandria 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.
Businesses
Company Formation in Alexandria, Louisiana
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Louisiana, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Louisiana. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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 LLC Advantages. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Alexandria, Louisiana, our information on Incorporating in Louisiana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Louisiana.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Louisiana.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Alexandria business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Business Line of Credit.
For Alexandria entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, you'll want to take a look at our List of Louisiana Angel Investors and our List of Louisiana Venture Capital Firms.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
The best entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Alexandria, Louisiana, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Louisiana educational institutions. It's also smart to see if there are any networking organizations for Alexandria entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Alexandria. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Alexandria and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Alexandria 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 Alexandria, Louisiana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Alexandria.
- Resources for Alexandria, Louisiana Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Alexandria entrepreneurs.
- Louisiana Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Louisiana.
- Louisiana Small Business Development Center - The Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC Network) provides low- or no-cost guidance and training for small business owners and potential owners.
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