By Rachael E. Wolfe, Business Consulting Program Manager, Kutztown University Small Business Development Center
Behind many of Lancaster County’s storefronts, contractors, manufacturers, professional services, restaurants, farms, and growing companies is a moment that every entrepreneur remembers: deciding to start.
That decision matters well beyond the individual business owner.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Small Business Profile, the Lancaster metropolitan area is home to more than 58,000 small businesses employing nearly 135,000 people. Small businesses account for 54.9% of employment in the area. Across Pennsylvania, 1.2 million small businesses employ approximately 2.5 million people.
These numbers demonstrate something Lancaster County sees every day: small business is not a small part of our economy.
But turning an idea into a sustainable business takes more than entrepreneurial spirit.
Starting a Business Should Not Mean Figuring Everything Out Alone
For an aspiring entrepreneur, the first questions often arrive quickly.
Do I need an LLC? Where do I register my business? Do I need a business plan? Who is my target customer? How much money will I need to start? Is there demand for my idea? What licenses or permits apply? How do I prepare to talk with a lender?
Finding reliable answers can be overwhelming, particularly when different questions involve different agencies, organizations, and areas of expertise.
That is why the Kutztown University Small Business Development Center works with the U.S. Small Business Administration and other partners to help entrepreneurs better understand their next steps.
Kutztown University SBDC serves entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Lancaster, Berks, Chester, and Lebanon Counties, with no-cost, confidential one-on-one business consulting, educational programs, and access to business research resources.
For someone considering entrepreneurship, one of the best places to begin is Start Your Business in PA: The First Steps Live Q&A.
The no-cost virtual program brings several organizations into one conversation, including the Kutztown University SBDC, U.S. Small Business Administration, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s PA Business One-Stop Shop, SCORE, and Quaint Oak Bank.
Instead of trying to navigate the small-business ecosystem alone, aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs can ask questions directly and learn where to go next.
Topics can include business registration, planning, financing, market research, licenses and permits, and other questions that arise when turning an idea into a business.
From Questions to Research and Action
The First Step does not have to be the last interaction an entrepreneur has with the SBDC.
Through no-cost, confidential consulting, Kutztown SBDC consultants can work individually with entrepreneurs on areas such as business planning, financial projections, marketing, funding preparation, and evaluating the viability of a business idea.
Clients can also access market research resources that would otherwise be difficult or costly for many small businesses to obtain independently. SBDC consultants can help entrepreneurs explore industry trends, competitors, market demographics, financial benchmarks, and target customers so that important decisions are supported by evidence rather than assumptions.
Education continues through workshops and webinars covering topics relevant to both new and existing businesses, including business planning, marketing, financial management, artificial intelligence, market research, social media, and other areas of business development.
The objective is not simply to help someone register a business. It is to help entrepreneurs make better-informed decisions as they start, operate, and grow.
Your Business Can Start With One Question
Lancaster County’s next successful business may currently be nothing more than an idea someone has been thinking about after work, around the kitchen table, or for years.
The distance between an idea and a business can feel enormous when you do not know the next step.
It becomes much more manageable when you know who to ask.
If you are thinking about starting a business in Lancaster County or anywhere in Pennsylvania, begin by connecting with the Pennsylvania SBDC and joining a First Steps Q&A. Bring your questions, learn about the resources available to you, and identify your next step.
Because Pennsylvania’s next small business has to start somewhere.
About KU SBDC:
Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department of Community & Economic Development, through support from Service Center host institutions, and by other sources of state and federal funding. Full disclosures available at pasbdc.org/funding-sources/. All services are extended on a non-discriminatory basis to all legal residents and citizens of the US. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
Learn More
Read more about Lancaster’s small business community in our latest publication, Small Business Success— A resource magazine for small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout Lancaster County!
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