Colorado Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Loveland, Colorado

Thinking about starting a business in Loveland, Colorado? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Loveland.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you want to start a business?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Loveland. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

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 Starting a Map Designers, Publishers, & Distributors Business guide or our How to Start a Pushcarts Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Loveland has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Loveland than others. Study Loveland demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Loveland, Colorado Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
11976
5-9 Employees
4137
10-19 Employees
2322
20-49 Employees
1494
50-99 Employees
540
100-249 Employees
270
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
54
1000+ Employees
0
All Loveland Businesses
20829

As a new Loveland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Loveland 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
3
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Art Dealers
4
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
11
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
4
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
11
Caterers
4
Child Day Care Services
24
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
7
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
9
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Couriers
4
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
12
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
16
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
41
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
39
Environmental Consulting Services
8
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
20
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
16
Flight Training
1
Flooring Contractors
8
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
5
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Framing Contractors
22
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
54
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
28
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Glass and Glazing Contractors
4
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
4
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
3
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
49
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
4
Janitorial Services
26
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
46
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
59
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
7
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
11
Masonry Contractors
12
Meat Markets
2
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
12
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Natural Gas Liquid Extraction
1
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
10
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
5
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
14
Offices of Chiropractors
17
Offices of Dentists
40
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
7
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
5
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Quick Printing
3
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
10
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Residential Property Managers
12
Residential Remodelers
20
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
10
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
13
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
4
Site Preparation Contractors
14
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Solid Waste Collection
2
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
17
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
5
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Testing Laboratories
3
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
3
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
10
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
6
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
18
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
17
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wineries
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
11
Wood Preservation
2
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Colorado.

Bring in Revenues

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

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Loveland, Colorado, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Colorado universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Loveland entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Loveland, 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.

We are here to help Loveland businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Loveland, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Loveland, Colorado

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Colorado

Starting a Business in Longmont
Starting a Business in Lyons

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

 

 

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