Montana Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Columbia Falls, Montana
Are you starting a business in Columbia Falls, Montana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Columbia Falls.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Columbia Falls. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- Take a look at Starting a Company. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Columbia Falls, Montana Demographic Information
Columbia Falls has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Columbia Falls demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Columbia Falls.
Businesses
As a new Columbia Falls entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Columbia Falls 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
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Software. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Montana.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Obtaining startup financing for your Columbia Falls business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Columbia Falls entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Montana Angel Investors and our List of Montana Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Company
To rise above the crowd in Columbia Falls and advance your business, you need a great marketing plan.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Dealing with Angry Customers 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.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Columbia Falls business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Selling Products on eBay offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Columbia Falls, Montana, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Montana universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate networking organizations for Columbia Falls entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Columbia Falls, 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 Columbia Falls 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 Columbia Falls, Montana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Columbia Falls.
- Resources for Columbia Falls, Montana Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Columbia Falls entrepreneurs.
- Montana Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Montana.
- Montana Small Business Development Center - The Montana Small Business Development Centers focus on the creation, retention and expansion of Montana small businesses.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Montana
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