Massachusetts Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Norfolk, Massachusetts
Need help starting a business in Norfolk, Massachusetts? We've got the information you need to open a business in Norfolk.
Norfolk, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Norfolk has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Norfolk demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Norfolk.
Businesses
As a new Norfolk entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Norfolk 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
Should You Buy an Existing Norfolk Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Massachusetts. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Norfolk.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Naming the Business
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Norfolk, it's very important that you make sure no other Massachusetts company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Norfolk, Massachusetts
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The main advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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 Massachusetts, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Massachusetts. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
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 should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Norfolk, Massachusetts, our information on Incorporating in Massachusetts may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Massachusetts.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
Creating a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.
Promoting Your New Business
To rise above the crowd in Norfolk and build your business, you need a solid marketing plan.
We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising on Google is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Norfolk. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Norfolk businesses to be successful. 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 Norfolk, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Norfolk.
- Resources for Norfolk, Massachusetts Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Norfolk entrepreneurs.
- Massachusetts Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network provides one-to-one free comprehensive and confidential services focusing on, business growth and strategies, financing and loan assistance as well as strategic, marketing and operational analysis.
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