Skip to Main Content

Planning Your Business

Before you start your business, you need to have a clear objective of what you want to do. It is important to do research and plan what you want your business to become before you dive in.

Market Research

You will first need to conduct market research to make sure that your community actually has a market for your product or service. The Durham County Library has free resources that you can use to conduct market research: https://durhamcountylibrary.org/research/onlineresources/business/.

Researching the demographics of Durham, such as average income and age, will give you a better sense of the kinds of customers you can expect to attract. The U.S. Census website (https://www.census.gov) gives comprehensive statistics.

Business Planning

After conducting research, you should focus on writing a business plan, both for yourself as well as to show potential investors that you have clear next steps.

The SBA has a page that outlines some essential elements of a business plan: https://www.sba.gov/starting-business/write-your-business-plan%20.
SCORE also has a free business plan template that you can download here: https://www.score.org/resource/business-plan-template-startup-business.

You should also choose a business legal structure to operate under https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/choose-business-structure.

North Carolina Assistance

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina also has some great resources to help you plan your business https://edpnc.com/start-or-grow-a-business/start-a-business/small-business-resources/.

Additional Resources

Durham County Library—business plan handbook

Events
Seminars

September 2020

Mon, Sep 28

Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps - Part 1, presented by Grow with Google
Read On
Tue, Sep 29

Webinar: Learn More about the Mortgage, Utility, and Rent Relief (MURR) Program
Read On

Wed, Sep 30

Get Your Local Business on Google Search and Maps - Part 2, presented by Grow with Google
Read On
Fri, Oct 2

Webinar: Learn More about the Mortgage, Utility, and Rent Relief (MURR) Program
Read On

Mon, Oct 12

Columbus Day All offices will be closed.
Read On
Wed, Nov 11

Veterans Day All offices will be closed.
Read On

View All Events

[{"WidgetSkinID":60,"ComponentType":0,"FontFamily":"","FontVariant":"","FontColor":"","FontSize":0.00,"FontStyle":0,"TextAlignment":0,"ShadowColor":"","ShadowBlurRadius":0,"ShadowOffsetX":0,"ShadowOffsetY":0,"Capitalization":0,"HeaderMiscellaneousStyles1":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles2":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles3":"","BulletStyle":0,"BulletWidth":2.00,"BulletColor":"","LinkNormalColor":"","LinkNormalUnderlined":false,"LinkNormalMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkVisitedColor":"","LinkVisitedMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkHoverColor":"","LinkHoverUnderlined":false,"LinkHoverMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkSelectedUnderlined":false,"ForceReadOnLinkToNewLine":false,"DisplayColumnSeparator":false,"ColumnSeparatorWidth":0.0000,"HoverBackgroundColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"HoverBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"HoverBackgroundImageFileName":"","HoverBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"HoverBorderStyle":0,"HoverBorderWidth":0,"HoverBorderColor":"","HoverBorderSides":15,"SelectedBackgroundColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"SelectedBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"SelectedBackgroundImageFileName":"","SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"SelectedBorderStyle":0,"SelectedBorderWidth":0,"SelectedBorderColor":"","SelectedBorderSides":15,"HoverFontFamily":"","HoverFontVariant":"","HoverFontColor":"","HoverFontSize":0.00,"HoverFontStyle":0,"HoverTextAlignment":0,"HoverShadowColor":"","HoverShadowBlurRadius":0,"HoverShadowOffsetX":0,"HoverShadowOffsetY":0,"HoverCapitalization":0,"SelectedFontFamily":"","SelectedFontVariant":"","SelectedFontColor":"","SelectedFontSize":0.00,"SelectedFontStyle":0,"SelectedShadowColor":"","SelectedShadowBlurRadius":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetX":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetY":0,"SpaceBetweenTabs":0,"SpaceBetweenTabsUnits":"","Trigger":4,"AnimationId":"e91bf4f4-6b8b-4a00-ab8c-176be967a8e1","AnimationClass":"animatione91bf4f46b8b4a00ab8c176be967a8e1","ScrollOffset":50,"TriggerNameLowerCase":"scroll","ParentComponentWithTrigger":null,"BackgroundColor":"","BackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","BackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","BackgroundGradientDirection":0,"BackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"BackgroundImageFileName":"","BackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImageRepeat":0,"BorderStyle":0,"BorderWidth":0,"BorderColor":"","BorderSides":15,"MarginTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingTop":{"Value":2.0000,"Unit":0},"PaddingRight":{"Value":2.0000,"Unit":0},"PaddingBottom":{"Value":3.0000,"Unit":0},"PaddingLeft":{"Value":2.0000,"Unit":0},"MiscellaneousStyles":"","RecordStatus":0},{"WidgetSkinID":52,"ComponentType":0,"FontFamily":"","FontVariant":"","FontColor":"","FontSize":0.00,"FontStyle":0,"TextAlignment":0,"ShadowColor":"","ShadowBlurRadius":0,"ShadowOffsetX":0,"ShadowOffsetY":0,"Capitalization":0,"HeaderMiscellaneousStyles1":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles2":"","HeaderMiscellaneousStyles3":"","BulletStyle":0,"BulletWidth":2.00,"BulletColor":"","LinkNormalColor":"","LinkNormalUnderlined":false,"LinkNormalMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkVisitedColor":"","LinkVisitedMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkHoverColor":"","LinkHoverUnderlined":false,"LinkHoverMiscellaneousStyles":"","LinkSelectedUnderlined":false,"ForceReadOnLinkToNewLine":false,"DisplayColumnSeparator":false,"ColumnSeparatorWidth":0.0000,"HoverBackgroundColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","HoverBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"HoverBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"HoverBackgroundImageFileName":"","HoverBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"HoverBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"HoverBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"HoverBorderStyle":0,"HoverBorderWidth":0,"HoverBorderColor":"","HoverBorderSides":15,"SelectedBackgroundColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","SelectedBackgroundGradientDirection":0,"SelectedBackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"SelectedBackgroundImageFileName":"","SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"SelectedBackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0000,"Unit":0},"SelectedBackgroundImageRepeat":0,"SelectedBorderStyle":0,"SelectedBorderWidth":0,"SelectedBorderColor":"","SelectedBorderSides":15,"HoverFontFamily":"","HoverFontVariant":"","HoverFontColor":"","HoverFontSize":0.00,"HoverFontStyle":0,"HoverTextAlignment":0,"HoverShadowColor":"","HoverShadowBlurRadius":0,"HoverShadowOffsetX":0,"HoverShadowOffsetY":0,"HoverCapitalization":0,"SelectedFontFamily":"","SelectedFontVariant":"","SelectedFontColor":"","SelectedFontSize":0.00,"SelectedFontStyle":0,"SelectedShadowColor":"","SelectedShadowBlurRadius":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetX":0,"SelectedShadowOffsetY":0,"SpaceBetweenTabs":0,"SpaceBetweenTabsUnits":"","Trigger":4,"AnimationId":"e91bf4f4-6b8b-4a00-ab8c-176be967a8e1","AnimationClass":"animatione91bf4f46b8b4a00ab8c176be967a8e1","ScrollOffset":40,"TriggerNameLowerCase":"scroll","ParentComponentWithTrigger":null,"BackgroundColor":"","BackgroundGradientStartingColor":"","BackgroundGradientEndingColor":"","BackgroundGradientDirection":0,"BackgroundGradientDegrees":0.0000000,"BackgroundImageFileName":"","BackgroundImagePositionXUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionXKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionX":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImagePositionYUseKeyword":true,"BackgroundImagePositionYKeyword":0,"BackgroundImagePositionY":{"Value":0.0,"Unit":0},"BackgroundImageRepeat":0,"BorderStyle":0,"BorderWidth":0,"BorderColor":"","BorderSides":15,"MarginTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MarginLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingTop":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingRight":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingBottom":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"PaddingLeft":{"Value":null,"Unit":0},"MiscellaneousStyles":"","RecordStatus":0}]