Michigan Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Ithaca, Michigan
Thinking about starting a business in Ithaca, Michigan? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Ithaca.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.
To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Facsimile Service & Repair Business guide or our Opening an Aviation Fuel Business guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Ithaca has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Ithaca. A critical consideration is whether Ithaca demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Ithaca, Michigan Demographic Information
Ithaca has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ithaca demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ithaca.
Businesses
As a new Ithaca entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ithaca 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
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ithaca Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Michigan. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Ithaca.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
The Role of the Business Plan
Creating a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Software. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Michigan.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Obtaining startup financing for your Ithaca business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Ithaca entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Business
To rise above the crowd in Ithaca and build your business, you need a solid marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Responsible Marketing is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Successful business owners recognize that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Ithaca, Michigan, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Ithaca entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Ithaca. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Ithaca businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ithaca, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ithaca, Michigan
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ithaca.
- Resources for Ithaca, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ithaca 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.
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