South Dakota Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Custer, South Dakota

Contemplating starting a business in Custer, South Dakota? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Custer.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most new businesses don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Custer. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • 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. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Button Manufacturers Equipment & Supplies Business guide or our How to Start a Used & Rebuilt Electric Motors Business guide.

Remember that starting a business in Custer has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Custer. Study Custer demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Custer, South Dakota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1696
5-9 Employees
528
10-19 Employees
252
20-49 Employees
72
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Custer Businesses
2548

As a new Custer entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Custer 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Beauty Salons
2
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Business Associations
1
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Electronic Shopping
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Florists
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Full-Service Restaurants
15
General Automotive Repair
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Historical Sites
1
Home Centers
1
Industrial Sand Mining
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Janitorial Services
1
Landscaping Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
3
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
3
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Lawyers
6
Offices of Optometrists
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Payroll Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Remodelers
3
Sawmills
2
Securities Brokerage
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Veterinary Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Custer, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Applegate Farm and Parrot Pizza. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tanning Franchises and Marketing, Sales and Advertising Franchises.

Note on Custer Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Custer.

Promoting Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Custer and build your business, you need a excellent marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Marketing Basics discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Custer business to do well.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Good Sales Strategies is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Good business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

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

Next Steps

Most new Custer businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Custer and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Custer entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Custer, South Dakota

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

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