Michigan Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Houghton Lake, Michigan

Need help starting a business in Houghton Lake, Michigan? We've got the information you need to open a business in Houghton Lake.

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.

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 How to Start a Paddle Tennis Court Construction Business guide or our Opening a Paint Spraying Equipment Rental Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Houghton Lake has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Houghton Lake. Only by spending some time analyzing Houghton Lake demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Houghton Lake, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
535
5-9 Employees
147
10-19 Employees
102
20-49 Employees
48
50-99 Employees
21
100-249 Employees
3
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Houghton Lake Businesses
859

As a new Houghton Lake entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Houghton Lake 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Beauty Salons
6
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Boat Dealers
3
Business Associations
1
Cafeterias
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Community Food Services
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
5
Engineering Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Florists
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
17
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Janitorial Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
2
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Portfolio Management
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
1
Used Car Dealers
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Visit the business district of Houghton Lake and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Buying a Franchise. 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.

Sample franchise opportunities include Soft-Temps and Maid to Perfection Corporation. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Travel and Leisure Franchises and Child Safety Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Houghton Lake Business?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Michigan. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Houghton Lake.

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

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.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Houghton Lake, it's critical that you ensure that no other Michigan company is using the business name you want to use.

Building Up Your Sales

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Houghton Lake business, you need to focus on sales.

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.

Landing Big Customers offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

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

With your business being located in Houghton Lake, Michigan, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Houghton Lake entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Houghton Lake 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 Houghton Lake, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Houghton Lake, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Houghton Lake entrepreneurs.
  • Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
  • Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

More Business Startup Guides for Michigan

Starting a Business in Houghton
Starting a Business in Howell

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary