Iowa Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Stratford, Iowa
Thinking about starting a business in Stratford, Iowa? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Stratford.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Most new businesses fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Stratford. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Stratford, Iowa Demographic Information
Stratford has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Stratford demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Stratford.
Businesses
As a new Stratford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Stratford 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 Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Stratford, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Pizza Fusion and Haagen-Dazs. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Asian Restaurant Franchises and Environmental Testing Franchises.
Note on Stratford Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Stratford, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Choosing a Business Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
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?
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 planning on starting a business in Stratford, it's imperative that you check now that no other Iowa company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Iowa.
Building Up Your Sales
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Stratford business to do well.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Writing Great Proposals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
With your business being located in Stratford, Iowa, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Iowa universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Stratford entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
What's Next?
Most new Stratford businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Stratford and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Stratford 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 Stratford, Iowa
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Stratford.
- Resources for Stratford, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Stratford 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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