Alaska Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Wasilla, Alaska
Thinking about starting a business in Wasilla, Alaska? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Wasilla.
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?
Before quitting your day job, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
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 Wasilla. 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.
Wasilla, Alaska Demographic Information
Wasilla has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Wasilla demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Wasilla.
Businesses
As a new Wasilla entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wasilla 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
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Wasilla, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Understanding Franchise Contracts. 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 Jerry's Subs and Pizza and Ledo Pizza System, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.
Note on Wasilla Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Wasilla.
Naming the Company
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
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.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Wasilla, it's very important that you make sure no other Alaska company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Alaska.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Wasilla business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Wasilla entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, we have assembled a List of Alaska Angel Investors and our List of Alaska Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Wasilla or are selling to customers throughout Alaska, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Writing Great Proposals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Wasilla. 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 Wasilla and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Wasilla, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Wasilla, Alaska
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Wasilla.
- Resources for Wasilla, Alaska Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Wasilla entrepreneurs.
- Alaska Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Alaska.
- Alaska Small Business Development Center - The Alaska Small Business Development Center, which is hosted by the University of Alaska and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, has assisted businesses by providing free, confidential technical business assistance and low-cost business training in Alaska for twenty years.
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