Texas Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Columbus, Texas

Contemplating starting a business in Columbus, Texas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Columbus.

Which Business to Choose?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read 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 Opening a Jukebox Service guide or our Opening a Secretarial School guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Columbus has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Columbus than others. Make sure you fully understand Columbus demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Columbus, Texas Demographic Information

Columbus has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Columbus demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Columbus.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5250
5-9 Employees
2184
10-19 Employees
1092
20-49 Employees
798
50-99 Employees
336
100-249 Employees
126
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Columbus Businesses
9786

As a new Columbus entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Columbus 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.

Business Type
# of
Businesses
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
2
Food Service Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
8
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
3
Investment Advice
2
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
13
Logging
1
Meat Markets
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
New Car Dealers
2
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
5
Optical Goods Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Wood Preservation
1

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Columbus, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Bug Realty USA Inc. and Home Blinds. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dry Cleaning & Laundry Franchises and Kid Friendly Franchises.

Note on Columbus Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Columbus, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Should You Buy an Existing Columbus Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Texas. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Columbus.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Raising money to fund your new Columbus business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Columbus entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Texas Angel Investors and our List of Texas Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Columbus and grow your business, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Facebook Advertising is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Columbus, Texas, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Texas universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Columbus entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Columbus, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Columbus businesses to be successful. 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 Columbus, Texas

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Columbus.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Texas

Starting a Business in Colorado City
Starting a Business in Comanche

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Texas
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Franchise Opportunities

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