Wisconsin Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Cochrane, Wisconsin
Need help starting a business in Cochrane, Wisconsin? We've got the information you need to open a business in Cochrane.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
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 Finding Your Niche in Life.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Table Cloths Business guide or our How to Start a Nutrition Business guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Cochrane has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Cochrane than others. Don't forget to review Cochrane demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Cochrane, Wisconsin Demographic Information
Cochrane has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Cochrane demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Cochrane.
Businesses
As a new Cochrane entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cochrane 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 Franchising?
As you drive around Cochrane, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Franchising Process. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs and Lantis Fireworks & Lasers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Framing Store Franchises and Juice Bar Franchises / Smoothie Franchises.
Note on Cochrane Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Cochrane.
What About Buying an Existing Cochrane Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Wisconsin. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Cochrane.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
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.
Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Cochrane, it's critical that you ensure that no other Wisconsin company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Cochrane, Wisconsin
A critical step is ensuring that you form your business as a legal structure. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating 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 Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Cochrane, Wisconsin, our information on Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Cochrane, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Cochrane and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Cochrane, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Cochrane, Wisconsin
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Cochrane.
- Resources for Cochrane, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Cochrane entrepreneurs.
- Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Small Business Development Center - Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers offer a variety of educational services to small-businesses. The low-cost courses, seminars, and workshops cover both basic and complex topics, from marketing to management techniques to business plan development.
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