New York Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Saratoga Springs, New York

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Saratoga Springs. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read How to Evaluate a Business 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 Opening an Earthquake Preparation Business guide or our Opening a Store Fixtures Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Remember that you are opening your new business in Saratoga Springs. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Saratoga Springs. Make sure you fully understand Saratoga Springs demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Saratoga Springs, New York Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4196
5-9 Employees
1732
10-19 Employees
1194
20-49 Employees
822
50-99 Employees
282
100-249 Employees
150
250-499 Employees
30
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
12
All Saratoga Springs Businesses
8430

As a new Saratoga Springs entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Saratoga Springs 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
4
Ambulance Services
2
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
4
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
13
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
8
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
4
Bottled Water Manufacturing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
7
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
11
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electrical Contractors
6
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Engineering Services
14
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
15
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
8
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
5
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
2
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
7
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
75
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
8
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
15
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
3
Historical Sites
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
7
Home Centers
6
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
4
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
23
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
7
Janitorial Services
11
Land Subdivision
4
Landscape Architectural Services
6
Landscaping Services
3
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
34
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
4
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
7
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Museums
5
Music Publishers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
8
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
10
Offices of Dentists
24
Offices of Lawyers
51
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
11
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Parking Lots and Garages
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
3
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
2
Racetracks
2
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
5
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
11
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
4
Securities Brokerage
7
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Shoe Stores
8
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Skiing Facilities
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Software Publishers
2
Sporting Goods Stores
8
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Temporary Help Services
4
Testing Laboratories
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tobacco Stores
2
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Window Treatment Stores
1
Women's Clothing Stores
19

Selecting a Name For Your 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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Saratoga Springs, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only New York company using the business name you have chosen.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in Saratoga Springs and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Music on Hold 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.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best business owners know that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local New York educational institutions. We also suggest you look into networking groups or organizations in which Saratoga Springs entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Never Give Up

You have a dream -- starting a business in Saratoga Springs. 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Saratoga Springs and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Saratoga Springs, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Saratoga Springs, New York

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

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