Texas Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in The Woodlands, Texas
Contemplating starting a business in The Woodlands, Texas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in The Woodlands.
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 Good Business Ideas.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening an Identification Records Service guide or our Starting an Electronic Bulletin Boards Business guide.
Remember that The Woodlands is the place where you are starting a business. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in The Woodlands. Make sure you fully understand The Woodlands demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Naming the Company
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: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in The Woodlands, it's critical that you ensure that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in The Woodlands, Texas
It's very important that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
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 Texas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Texas. In fact, 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Registered Agents. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in The Woodlands, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your The Woodlands business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For The Woodlands entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Texas Angel Investors and our List of Texas Venture Capital Firms.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new The Woodlands business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Effective Sales Presentations is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in The Woodlands, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in The Woodlands and throughout the United States . 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 The Woodlands, Texas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in The Woodlands.
- Resources for The Woodlands, Texas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist The Woodlands entrepreneurs.
- Texas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Texas.
- Houston, Texas Small Business Development Center - Serving 32 counties in Southeast Texas through 14 business consulting and training centers, the Small Business Development Center Network contributes to the growth and prosperity of the Texas Gulf Coast communities.
- North Texas Small Business Development Center - The NTSBDC Network promotes small business success by providing management education.
- Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center - The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center was established with Texas Tech University in 1986. This regional program serves over ninety thousand square miles including ninety-five counties with a population base of approximately 1.8 million people. This region is serviced by six centers located in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Stephenville, and Wichita Falls.
- South-West Texas Border�SBDC Network Texas Small Business Development Center - The South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides consulting and technical assistance to the small business community.
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