Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Danbury, Connecticut

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Danbury. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • 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. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read 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 Bathroom Fixtures & Accessories Retail Business guide or our How to Start a Precast Concrete Form Erection Contractors Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Danbury. Some businesses will do better in Danbury than others. Don't forget to review Danbury demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Danbury, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
17815
5-9 Employees
7665
10-19 Employees
4995
20-49 Employees
3750
50-99 Employees
1425
100-249 Employees
660
250-499 Employees
225
500-999 Employees
60
1000+ Employees
75
All Danbury Businesses
36670

As a new Danbury entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Danbury 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
Advertising Agencies
5
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
3
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
10
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing
3
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
24
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
13
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
6
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
6
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
21
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
9
Civic and Social Organizations
6
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer and Software Stores
7
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
12
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
5
Custom Computer Programming Services
18
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
3
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
12
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
42
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
5
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
5
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
14
Family Planning Centers
2
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
10
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
4
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
12
Framing Contractors
5
Freight Transportation Arrangement
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
86
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
14
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
15
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
6
Heating Oil Dealers
6
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
7
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
11
Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Janitorial Services
21
Jewelry Stores
26
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
37
Language Schools
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
50
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
4
Mail-Order Houses
4
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
8
Masonry Contractors
12
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Media Buying Agencies
2
Media Representatives
2
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
12
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
9
New Car Dealers
15
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
28
Offices of Chiropractors
10
Offices of Dentists
45
Offices of Lawyers
68
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
8
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
14
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Portfolio Management
3
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
7
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
12
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
19
Retail Bakeries
3
Roofing Contractors
6
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
14
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
8
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
17
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
16
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
22
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
12
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
6
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Help Services
15
Testing Laboratories
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
8
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
27

Naming the Business

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Danbury, it's very important that you make sure no other Connecticut company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

Having a business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Connecticut.

How to Sell

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Danbury or are selling to customers throughout Connecticut, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling with Questions is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Some Interesting Danbury Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Danbury entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Danbury. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Danbury 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 Danbury, Connecticut

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

More Business Startup Guides for Connecticut

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Starting a Business in Darien

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