Michigan Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Contemplating starting a business in Ann Arbor, Michigan? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Ann Arbor.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ann Arbor. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Ann Arbor, Michigan Demographic Information
Ann Arbor has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ann Arbor demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ann Arbor.
Businesses
As a new Ann Arbor entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ann Arbor 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
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ann Arbor Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Michigan. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Ann Arbor.
If you are going to be buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Forming a Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan
It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will separate 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.
Incorporation 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 Michigan, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Michigan. In fact, you can 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 How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Ann Arbor, Michigan, our information on Incorporating in Michigan may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Michigan.
Selling Tips
Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ann Arbor or are selling to customers throughout Michigan, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Selling on the Phone is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good business owners recognize that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any Ann Arbor networking organizations.
Interviews With Ann Arbor Entrepreneurs
Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Ann Arbor entrepreneurs.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Ann Arbor. 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 Ann Arbor and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ann Arbor.
- Resources for Ann Arbor, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ann Arbor entrepreneurs.
- Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
- Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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