Wisconsin Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Hartford, Wisconsin
Contemplating starting a business in Hartford, Wisconsin? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Hartford.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Most startup companies don't make it, in part because the founder did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Hartford. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- 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. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Hartford, Wisconsin Demographic Information
Hartford has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hartford demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hartford.
Businesses
As a new Hartford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hartford 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Hartford, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp. and Fuzziwig's Candy Factory. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Healthy Alternative Foods Franchises.
Note on Hartford Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Hartford.
What About Buying an Existing Hartford Business?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Wisconsin. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Hartford.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Naming the Company
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Hartford, it's imperative that you check now that no other Wisconsin company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Hartford, Wisconsin
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Hartford, Wisconsin, our information on Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.
Moving Forward
Most new Hartford businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Hartford and throughout the United States . 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 Hartford, Wisconsin
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hartford.
- Resources for Hartford, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Hartford entrepreneurs.
- Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Small Business Development Center - Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers offer a variety of educational services to small-businesses. The low-cost courses, seminars, and workshops cover both basic and complex topics, from marketing to management techniques to business plan development.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Wisconsin
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