Michigan Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Whitehall, Michigan

Are you starting a business in Whitehall, Michigan? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Whitehall.

What Business to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Evaluating Your Idea.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Floor Polishing, Waxing, & Cleaning Materials Business guide or our Opening an Intellectual Property Attorneys Business guide.

Remember that your new business will be in Whitehall. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Whitehall. Don't forget to review Whitehall demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Whitehall, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2849
5-9 Employees
987
10-19 Employees
441
20-49 Employees
420
50-99 Employees
126
100-249 Employees
105
250-499 Employees
21
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
21
All Whitehall Businesses
4970

As a new Whitehall entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Whitehall 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
Ambulance Services
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Boat Dealers
1
Bowling Centers
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
2
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Community Food Services
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Engineering Services
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
4
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
3
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Marinas
2
Masonry Contractors
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonclay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Lawyers
3
Offices of Podiatrists
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Remodelers
6
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Window Treatment Stores
1

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Writing a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

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 Michigan.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Whitehall business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Whitehall entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Whitehall and grow your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

You can learn all about marketing on our site. How to Market to Accountants and CPAs is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Good business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Whitehall, Michigan, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Michigan educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Whitehall networking organizations.

Now It's Up To You

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Whitehall and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Whitehall, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Whitehall, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Whitehall, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Whitehall entrepreneurs.
  • Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
  • Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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