Minnesota Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Red Wing, Minnesota

Need help starting a business in Red Wing, Minnesota? We've got the information you need to open a business in Red Wing.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Red Wing. 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.

Which Business to Choose?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Evaluating Your Idea.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Axles Retail Business guide or our Starting a Media Consultants Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Red Wing. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Red Wing. Study Red Wing demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Red Wing, Minnesota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
860
5-9 Employees
432
10-19 Employees
281
20-49 Employees
159
50-99 Employees
72
100-249 Employees
24
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
6
1000+ Employees
0
All Red Wing Businesses
1840

As a new Red Wing entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Red Wing 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
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
11
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Boat Dealers
4
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
3
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
3
Caterers
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
1
Credit Unions
1
Dental Laboratories
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Display Advertising
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
7
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
9
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
3
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Full-Service Restaurants
16
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
5
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
15
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
4
Jewelry Stores
5
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
4
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
18
Limousine Service
1
Machine Shops
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
7
Offices of Lawyers
9
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Retail Bakeries
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Shoe Stores
6
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Help Services
4
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
3
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Red Wing, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Franchising Process. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Inner Circle and Snappy Tomato Pizza. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Senior Care Franchises and Child Entertainment Franchises.

Note on Red Wing Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Red Wing, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Forming a Company in Red Wing, Minnesota

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Minnesota, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Minnesota. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

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 Dissolving a Corporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Red Wing, Minnesota, our information on Incorporating in Minnesota may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Minnesota.

Letting the World Know You Exist

To grow your Red Wing business, you need a solid marketing plan.

We have some useful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. National TV Spot Advertising Rates is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Red Wing. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

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

We are here to help Red Wing businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Red Wing 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 Red Wing, Minnesota

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Minnesota

Starting a Business in Red Lake Falls
Starting a Business in Redwood Falls

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

 

 

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