New Hampshire Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Keene, New Hampshire

Need help starting a business in Keene, New Hampshire? We've got the information you need to open a business in Keene.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to go into business for yourself?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Keene. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Free 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 Opening a Vacation Rentals Business guide or our How to Start a Television Rental & Leasing Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Keene. Some businesses will do better in Keene than others. Make sure you fully understand Keene demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Keene, New Hampshire Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3798
5-9 Employees
1755
10-19 Employees
1341
20-49 Employees
945
50-99 Employees
333
100-249 Employees
162
250-499 Employees
81
500-999 Employees
45
1000+ Employees
9
All Keene Businesses
8469

As a new Keene entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Keene 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
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
2
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
13
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Child and Youth Services
5
Child Day Care Services
7
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Claims Adjusting
2
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Convenience Stores
6
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
4
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
9
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
6
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
4
Florists
5
Food Service Contractors
4
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Full-Service Restaurants
34
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
11
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Heating Oil Dealers
4
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
3
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
16
Internet Service Providers
1
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Janitorial Services
7
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
2
Jewelry Stores
4
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
8
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Linen Supply
1
Machine Shops
3
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
4
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Stamping
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
8
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
12
Offices of Dentists
29
Offices of Lawyers
28
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
7
Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing
1
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
2
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
3
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Residential Property Managers
4
Residential Remodelers
8
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
3
Securities Brokerage
9
Shoe Stores
7
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
13
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Tax Preparation Services
2
Taxi Service
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Thread Mills
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
4
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
6

Picking a Company Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Keene, it's critical that you ensure that no other New Hampshire company is using the business name you want to use.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Keene business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as How to Raise Money.

For Keene entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of New Hampshire Angel Investors and our List of New Hampshire Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

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

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Compensating Sales People is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Moving Forward

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Keene and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Keene entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Keene, New Hampshire

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in New Hampshire

Starting a Business in Hudson
Starting a Business in Kingston

Browse All Business Startup Guides for New Hampshire
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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