Iowa Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Preston, Iowa
Thinking about starting a business in Preston, Iowa? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Preston.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Running your own business is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Preston. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
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? 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 How to Start a Butchers' Equipment & Supplies Business guide or our Starting a Medical Examiners Business guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Preston. Some businesses will do better in Preston than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Preston demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Preston, Iowa Demographic Information
Preston has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Preston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Preston.
Businesses
As a new Preston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Preston 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Visit the business district of Preston 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 advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Five Franchise Opportunities To Watch. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Representative franchise opportunities include Better Homes Realty Inc. and Kilwin's Chocolates and Ice Cream Franchise, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Juice Bar Franchises / Smoothie Franchises and Pizza Franchises.
Note on Preston Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Preston.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Having a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Iowa.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Preston business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Angel Investors.
For Preston entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, you'll want to take a look at our List of Iowa Angel Investors and our List of Iowa Venture Capital Firms.
Promoting Your New Company
Whether your goal is to attract Preston customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Toll Free Numbers is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Preston, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Preston businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Preston, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Preston, Iowa
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Preston.
- Resources for Preston, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Preston entrepreneurs.
- Iowa Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Iowa.
- Iowa Small Business Development Center - The Iowa SBDC conducts research, counsels, and trains business people in management, financing, and operating small businesses. They provide comprehensive information services and access to experts in a variety of fields. This is a great resource for Iowa entrepreneurs!
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