Virginia Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Fairfax, Virginia
Thinking about starting a business in Fairfax, Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Fairfax.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Fairfax. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Fairfax, Virginia Demographic Information
Fairfax has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Fairfax demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Fairfax.
Businesses
As a new Fairfax entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fairfax 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
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Examine a list of Fairfax businesses and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Grower Direct Fresh Cut Flowers and Boloco Inspired Burritos. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Consulting Franchises and Health Franchises.
Note on Fairfax Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Fairfax.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Fairfax Business?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Fairfax.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Fairfax, it's very important that you make sure no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Creating a business plan is critical 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
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.
Promoting Your New Business
Whether your goal is to attract Fairfax customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Local Search is a good read to get your marketing thoughts flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Interviews With Fairfax Entrepreneurs
Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Fairfax entrepreneurs.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Fairfax. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Fairfax and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Fairfax, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Fairfax, Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Fairfax.
- Resources for Fairfax, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Fairfax entrepreneurs.
- Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
- Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
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