New York City is one of the biggest business centers in the world. No wonder why so many people are moving there and starting businesses. People from all over the world move to New York City in order to better their careers as there is a lot of space for growth here. But starting a business is not easy. Especially when you are starting a small business in Manhattan for the first time. There are a lot of things that you need to know before you do so. Not knowing enough about the whole process and what it takes for a small business to survive in Manhattan can lead you to some very stressful times.

As we don’t want anybody finding themself in such a situation, we decided to write an article about just what it takes for starting a small business in Manhattan successfully in 2022. So, if your New Year’s resolution was just this, you are in the right place.

The best types of businesses to start in Manhattan

You can, of course, start any business that you want. But some business experts find this to be a bad idea as not every business is needed equally everywhere. For example, opening up a coffee shop in Manhattan is a good idea but not the best one as there are already hundreds of coffee shops in this area. Even though coffee shops are always needed, if there are too many of them, you will not be earning a lot of money. And we believe that if you are starting a business in order to earn money and grow, it is a much better idea to invest in a smart innovative idea.

People crossing street in NYC.
Starting any business in NYC is a good idea but it is better if you think ahead strategically about it.

Starting a type of business that there aren’t many of in the area is a much better move. And we are here to give you some suggestions. A coffee shop is a good idea but if you are doing that, make sure you have a very original concept idea. People of Manhattan, as well as tourists, love new things. Being different is good in the world of business. But we believe that if this type of business sounds like something you would like, a homemade food store is a much better option. Manhattan residents love homemade food as well as organic food.

Second-hand clothing stores are now trendy therefore a good business idea. Having a babysitting agency is another business that can bring you lots of money in Manhattan as babysitters are always needed. A great example of a good small business in NYC is NYC Mini Storage. Storage units are always needed in NYC and a lot of people don’t actually need a lot of storage space. Now renting small storage is made possible. This is why you need to think ahead strategically before starting a small business in Manhattan. There are many more options to consider but we believe these are some of the best ones as it is a small business we are talking about.

Registering your Manhattan business

Once you have an idea of which business you want to start and you make a complete business plan, your next step is to register your business. We all know that New York City, especially Manhattan, is very expensive. This is probably why a lot of people seem o think that for starting a small business in Manhattan you also need a lot of money.

Signing papers.
Registering your business is not expensive at all.

Well, for registration certainly not. Registering your business in Manhattan will cost you only $25. Many people are shocked by this but not us. This is because we know that the rest of the things you have to do are much more expensive as this is Manhattan we are talking about.

Save up some money

No person starts a business without having a budget first. You need to have a lot of money in your savings in order to be able to start a business without having to deal with a lot of stress and setbacks along the way. The registration fee is just the beginning of the money-spending cycle. Your next step is to find where your business will be. You need to find an office space or a commercial property. And although there are so many of them in Manhattan, you will face some troubles doing this.

Man holding piggy bank.
Save up enough to cover all the expenses that will come your way in order to avoid stressful situations and setbacks.

Renting an office space or a commercial property is not affordable at all. It might take you weeks to run into one that you can realistically afford at the given moment. Plus, not every available space is going to suit your needs and wants. You also need to invest your money into redecorating this space that will be your business. And depending on what you imagine your office to be, you will need to set enough money aside.

At some point, you might be needing a place for your goods and supplies which is an additional expense. You need to have a budget so that you can easily cover all the expenses and have your business start working as soon as that is possible. Have in mind that you need to have a website, a social media manager, and invest in advertising online. These are all big expenses but necessary ones for a successful business.

Be unique

We have already mentioned this but this is something that you can never say too many times – being unique is the key to success in Manhattan. This is a multi-million people city. People from here have seen and tried many things already and it isn’t easy getting their attention so make sure you find a way to do so. Starting a small business in Manhattan is a very big step and failing to do so successfully is easier than one might think. No wonder why there are so many businesses leaving New York City. It isn’t easy keeping up with it. Things here change very fast.

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