Ian Ruzow's Tips for Starting a Business in Pennsylvania

There’s a reason why Pennsylvania is such a great place for starting a small business; it was founded on democratic principles. William Penn was a wealthy English nobleman who was also a published author and the leader of a Quaker religious community. He was also the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania. In 1670, he wrote the most methodical and extensive exposé of the tolerance in England, but after being persecuted relentlessly for his religious beliefs, William Penn moved to America and established the province of Pennsylvania as a place where people could enjoy freedom from oppression. It is these same values of Democracy and freedom that have always been the cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s philosophy.

For anyone looking to start a new business, there are few places more welcoming or understanding than the state of Pennsylvania, which is known for its distinct blend of longstanding tradition and cultural diversity.

The Keystone State embraces technology and it is constantly paving the way for successful new business ventures. Many Pennsylvanian cities and towns are experiencing an entrepreneurial renaissance these days because of the free or low-cost technical and consulting services that are available to anyone.

The first thing to consider before venturing into the world of business, regardless of whether you’ve had experience before, is to know what service or goods you will be providing. Necessity is the mother of invention for a reason, and you’ll want to be as sure as possible that the service or merchandise you’ll be providing is something that people will actually want/need.

Once you’ve settled on an idea, it’s vitally important to research your competition. This doesn’t just mean locally since the world can now be accessed effortlessly online. The playing field is much more narrow since anyone in the world can now be your direct competition. It’s no longer just the business down the street you need to compare yourself to.

Since the ultimate goal is to make a profit, it’s important to calculate how much it will cost to manufacture your product, in addition to marketing and selling and all that it entails. When writing a business plan, you should plan to not see a profit for the first several business cycles, and you should budget accordingly in order to stay afloat.

If there are any legal issues or compliance matters that need to be addressed before you can legally start selling your product or service, make sure all of that is arranged in advance. If you plan to have a website, research and secure the proper domain name -- the more intuitive to your market share, the better. If you are planning on a brick-and-mortar location, research the areas that are appropriately zoned for business and choose a location that is convenient for your customers. You should also be aware of any competition nearby.

Ian Ruzow is a businessman from Central Pennsylvania. He is most widely known for being a co-founder of Clipper Magazine, and now serves as a partner with Oak Tree Development Group of Lititz.