Louisiana Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Winnsboro, Louisiana

Contemplating starting a business in Winnsboro, Louisiana? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Winnsboro.

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Winnsboro. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Winnsboro, Louisiana Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1539
5-9 Employees
693
10-19 Employees
405
20-49 Employees
198
50-99 Employees
27
100-249 Employees
27
250-499 Employees
9
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Winnsboro Businesses
2898

As a new Winnsboro entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Winnsboro 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
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Beauty Salons
1
Book Stores
1
Business Associations
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Community Food Services
1
Consumer Lending
5
Convenience Stores
2
Cotton Ginning
2
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
1
Dance Companies
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Florists
1
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
5
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
8
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
7
Jewelry Stores
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Logging
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Dentists
4
Offices of Lawyers
6
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
4
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Tax Preparation Services
4
Tire Dealers
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Choosing a Business Name

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.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Winnsboro, it's very important that you make sure no other Louisiana company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Winnsboro, Louisiana

It's very important that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation 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. Just because you are starting a business in Louisiana, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Louisiana. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as C Corp Versus S Corp. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Winnsboro, Louisiana, our information on Incorporating in Louisiana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Louisiana.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Louisiana.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Winnsboro business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Take advantage of our many articles on finding startup capital, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Winnsboro entrepreneurs who need startup capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Louisiana Angel Investors and our List of Louisiana Venture Capital Firms.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Winnsboro. 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 Winnsboro and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Winnsboro, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Winnsboro, Louisiana

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

More Startup Articles for Louisiana Cities

Starting a Business in Winnfield
Starting a Business in Zachary

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Louisiana
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary