Starting a Business in New Hampshire

Hew Hampshire car wash market. Well we have visited every city in New Hampshire over the population of 10,000 at least twice, the larger ones four and five times talking to many people in various industries. Landscapers, brick layers, Heating and Air, Plumbers, Car Dealers, Professional People, Politicians, wood be politicians, chamber of Commerce Personal, Economic Development people and just nice folks on the street. Including skateboarders; Hockey and Soccer Moms; Canadian Tourists and this last visit mourners for the Old Man of the Mountain who died in vain after a Harsh winter of snow and rain. The ceremonies were good and respectful of our fallen gentleman. But the world marches on and with more places to go and people to meet including an in depth look into what makes Nashua tick. One of the major populated cities in NH and there are not many of them. Total Population is about 1,272,600 approximately.

http://www.state.nh.us/osp/sdc/sdcEsts.html .

Nashua is growing unlike other areas of the states that are more Northern which are losing population base; According to the Tiger Files associated with the last Census. We are seeing more Canadian Tourism as the Dollar has fallen against their currency somewhat. A little better than 2/3 as was the previous known standard that people assumed. Tourism is up a little now finally and mostly because it is an easy drive for NY, NJ to get out of the heat. The Winter was a bummer as most admit, but it is hopping now. Weather in Nashua is not as bad as one might think. Dec thru February are a little tough but Nov and March on the other side of the cold period are very doable, with the typical three day storms which come through, the issues of doubling up storms or six day bad weather cold snaps are common in Nov thru March and occasionally in Oct and also in April. It was a long winter this year and the worst in six years, but not horrific. Not extremely conducive to car washing and mobile detailing and in the rough economy not inviting but doable never the less and better than some industries as things have been tough. Luckily the increase in population has helped. Manufacturing has taken a little bit of a hit like all manufacturing jobs in the US, although NH likes to think of this as their secret strength, well we will give them that, it is true, but long term that could be dangerous after touring the closed mills across the border in Maine things were not that great and hopefully their past is no indication of the possible future of NH. We see the city of Nashua as a different type of town although surely Manufacturing

http://www.nhsbdc.org/2001%20Manuf%20Report.pdf

is a factor too. Since 1990 most of NH has had great growth in High Tech manufacturing whereas the other New England Sates all had net loses. But today that incredible advantage could prove a liability. In all of NH there was a 4-5% decline in manufacturing which hurt just like in Vermont, which competes for the same manufacturing jobs in low tech, but not so much in high tech. Burlington, VT has also seen a hard time, yet even with that retail and services have picked up in NH and VT and with both have Universities that do research and development, they have been able to find new placement for graduates willing to stay in state and work. Those have been good paying jobs. 17% of all jobs in NH up until even the beginning of the year have been manufacturing. Nashua is not as heavy in manufacturing as the neighboring large cities and will probably not face the same fate as cities like Bangor Maine, because it is close to other large cities including Boston, where things cost more due to higher costs of living and wages there. It is a good compromise for those who need to get out of the big city to compete on cost. The Toll Way running through the city is not to damaging to Nashua for trade with partnering city Manchester, NH because there is a short distance and the fees are small and two other routes, which are easy travel. No charge to drive to Boston and therefore trade with Boston is good.

Nashua and the governor of NH have been really working hard to attract companies in Tech to NH for many years now. It has worked well but now the lay offs have been hurting things a little more than anticipated. We have seen many top notch companies come to play in the area here. Such as EDS, Digital Equipment, Raytheon, all of which had lots of layoffs. What the city going was the move towards services and retail to cater to these young up and coming professionals. But the lay offs were not pretty; but Nashua has seen it before after the dying of all the mills, Back in the 1600s the colonial town made hay due to it's closeness to Boston at which time our family in the Silversmith business often traded with the population of Nashua. The biggest growth of the city was from 1960-1980 before the tech bubble, lots of growth.

The retail sector and upgraded downtown project, they call it "Destination Downtown." has captured the essence of a point of destination, every weekend Boston Suburban Harley Riders drive to Nashua and hang out and spend money. This has been very successful with travelers, locals and tourists alike and it is the answer to fixing these small town areas where urban flight can destroy all hope. Check it out, it is cool;

http://www.nashuadowntown.com

Then there are the annual events bringing even more people. Also housing and construction are alive and well as Nashua keeps getting high rankings for good schools, friendly folks, lower taxes and a really great place to live. This means that it is a nice place to clean cars too. Just over the border in Mass, is Hudson and it too is seeing strong middle class growth. With Tech slowing what is NH next play for jobs and boom? Well it is attempting to re-invent itself again. And if any state can it would be the tenacious people of NH, is Biotech the next power play? It could be the jobs market is less costly for companies and the students are available in bulk and inexpensive and plentiful

http://nhbiotech.com/News/021500GEN/GENNHBiotech.pdf .

There is a little of everything in NH, why not Bio-Tech after all next to Boston it makes a good fit. There are some car washes in the area too and they are well received and thriving proving that the market there is strong. Gentle Touch car wash has two locations, both are busy every time we have been by. We saw several other car washes but we really liked the Gentle Touch and so do customers. Lucky Duck Car Wash is also good. The is also a really good Detail Shop which were quite good.

http://kosmetics.net/ .

They also own body shops and have a good customer base and dealership work and they are busy.

The local detailing and car wash establishments are doing well in New Hampshire, not all are breaking speed records but all are making money from what we saw. What type of business would you like to establish in NH, there is growth and room to grow for most any type of small business.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

---

Starting a Pressure Washing Business

Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More

To Buy Or Not To Buy: Lawn Mowing Business

TRUTH IN THE LAWN MOWING INDUSTRYWe do not wish to... Read More

Self-Employment: Do you know the Difference between Rates and Wages

The difference between rates and wages is not always clear... Read More

Pressure Washing Business; Steam Cleaner Fuel Maintenance

It is essential that you fully understand how the fuel... Read More

Perfecting Your Pitch

Why should you describe your business to others in 5... Read More

How Is the LEGAL SYSTEM Dishing Out JUSTICE in Your Town?

Thankfully, most of us will never find out. That is... Read More

Truck Wash Business Case Study

Often smart entrepreneurs look for out of the way businesses,... Read More

The Advisory Board: A Business Owners Most Valuable Resource

As a company grows, the owner's role begins to change.... Read More

Getting City Contracts; Local Government Contracting

All cities have a purchasing office and/or a procurement officer.... Read More

The Business Autopsy: A Fact Of Life

Last week we discussed the importance of performing an autopsy... Read More

If You Want to Work from Home

Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More

Drivng Home the Point - An Outsourcing Story in China

A few years ago, I visited Beijing for the first... Read More

Lack of Vigilance Can Harm the Bottom Line

The easiest way to lift profits is to cut the... Read More

Franchising Pros and Cons

Last week's question from Anthony R. on how to choose... Read More

You Are Invited

Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What... Read More

Small Business Server Business Tips

Top 3 Ways to Maximize Your Small Business Server Consulting... Read More

A Gift Basket Home Business is an Easy Way to Wrap up Profits

You want to know more about making money with your... Read More

Everything I Need to Know About Business I Learned From My Nametag

So there I was ? sitting in the audience of... Read More

Why are Reverse Mergers Often the Victims of Short Sellers?

There is a great deal of abuse going on in... Read More

The Perfect Mission Statement

One way to determine your companies mission statement is based... Read More

Sex Up Your Business Growth

A top executive called up me late in the night.... Read More

Q and A: Personalized Birthday Cards from Paul Leonard

Paul Leonard's BirthdayCards2Go.com paid greeting card service offers convenience when... Read More

Making a Donation to Bring MORE Business

How a donation is different from a sponsorship and what... Read More

1-2-3 Steps To A Successful Joint Venture

A successful joint venture marketing effort is the goal of... Read More

Debt Collection Techniques

Here are some sound debt collection techniques that can be... Read More

3.5 Million People And A Possible UK Home Business Opportunity

Has this ever happened to you... 'John, you have a... Read More

Using Excel Payroll Sheet to Make Payroll System Easier

For the employees, payday is the brightest day; they finally... Read More

What To Consider Before Buying A Franchise

Here are some useful tips on what to consider before... Read More

Not Listening Can Hurt Your Small Business

Most small business owners seek advisors who can help them... Read More

Small Business Success: Thriving During Change (And Landing On Your Feet!)

If I had $1.00 every time I heard someone say... Read More

Creating a Dynamite Account Plan

Why do you need an account plan?When you first decide... Read More

Banking and Company Credit Card Policies for Small Business

Does your small business have a banking and credit card... Read More

What Your Small Business Can Learn From The Doctor

Most doctors never distinguish the difference between customers and patients.... Read More