Virginia Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Arlington, Virginia
Need help starting a business in Arlington, Virginia? We've got the information you need to open a business in Arlington.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Before you get too far along in the process, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Arlington. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. 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.
Arlington, Virginia Demographic Information
Arlington has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Arlington demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Arlington.
Businesses
As a new Arlington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Arlington 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Arlington, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Opportunities in International Franchising. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include Apache Pizza and Jack in the Box Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cartridge Recycling Franchises and Handyman Services Franchises.
Note on Arlington Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Arlington, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Choosing a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
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.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Arlington, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Virginia company using the business name you have chosen.
Promoting Your New Company
To rise above the crowd in Arlington and build your business, you need a solid marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Holiday-Powered Marketing is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Arlington or are selling to customers throughout Virginia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Arlington, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into Arlington networking organizations.
Interviews With Arlington Entrepreneurs
We're compiling a number of interviews with Arlington entrepreneurs. Enjoy!
- Interview with Jennifer Nielsen, Founder of Wine Wear, Inc.
- Interview with Matthew Hale, Founder of My Hookah Heaven
- Interview with Steven Gaffney, Founder of The Steven Gaffney Company
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Arlington. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Arlington 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 Arlington, Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Arlington.
- Resources for Arlington, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Arlington entrepreneurs.
- Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
- Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
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