Wisconsin Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Whitehall, Wisconsin
Need help starting a business in Whitehall, Wisconsin? We've got the information you need to open a business in Whitehall.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Whitehall. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Finding Your Niche in Life.
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 Starting an Electric Fuses Business guide or our Opening a Stamp Pads Business guide.
Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Whitehall. Some businesses will do better in Whitehall than others. Make sure you fully understand Whitehall demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Whitehall, Wisconsin 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.
Businesses
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.
Businesses
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Visit the business district of Whitehall and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Before Buying a Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Janilink and HomeSafe Inspection. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Furnishings Franchises and Automotive Services Franchises.
Note on Whitehall Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Whitehall.
Forming a Company in Whitehall, Wisconsin
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Offshore Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Whitehall, Wisconsin, our information on Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.
Raising Capital for Your Company
Getting your Whitehall business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Investor Turnoffs.
For Whitehall entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Wisconsin Angel Investors and our List of Wisconsin Venture Capital Firms.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Whitehall, Wisconsin, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Wisconsin universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Whitehall entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Whitehall, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Whitehall and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Whitehall, Wisconsin
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Whitehall.
- Resources for Whitehall, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Whitehall entrepreneurs.
- Wisconsin Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Small Business Development Center - Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers offer a variety of educational services to small-businesses. The low-cost courses, seminars, and workshops cover both basic and complex topics, from marketing to management techniques to business plan development.
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