Indiana Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Anderson, Indiana

Contemplating starting a business in Anderson, Indiana? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Anderson.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Being an entrepreneur is hard work, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you want to start a business?

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Anderson. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Anderson, Indiana Demographic Information

Anderson has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Anderson demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Anderson.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
18522
5-9 Employees
8253
10-19 Employees
5565
20-49 Employees
3486
50-99 Employees
1365
100-249 Employees
546
250-499 Employees
63
500-999 Employees
63
1000+ Employees
63
All Anderson Businesses
37926

As a new Anderson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Anderson for each business category. By looking at this chart, you can get a general sense for how much competition there is in the business niche that you are pursuing.

Business Type
# of
Businesses
Advertising Agencies
4
Air Traffic Control
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
4
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Apprenticeship Training
2
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
15
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
20
Blood and Organ Banks
3
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
3
Bowling Centers
3
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Car Washes
7
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
2
Child and Youth Services
5
Child Day Care Services
25
Civic and Social Organizations
19
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Collection Agencies
4
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
3
Consumer Lending
6
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
4
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
8
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
4
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
18
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electrical Contractors
11
Electronic Shopping
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
9
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
3
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
10
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
6
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
57
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
General Automotive Repair
20
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
6
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Household Appliance Stores
5
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
41
Interior Design Services
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
3
Jewelry Stores
8
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
19
Limited-Service Restaurants
63
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
4
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
10
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
2
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
4
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Chiropractors
10
Offices of Dentists
40
Offices of Lawyers
53
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
4
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
8
Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing
2
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
13
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
3
Racetracks
2
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
9
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Residential Property Managers
8
Residential Remodelers
17
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Roofing Contractors
5
Savings Institutions
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
7
Siding Contractors
4
Site Preparation Contractors
12
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sporting Goods Stores
8
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
11
Temporary Help Services
4
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
4
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
13
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
4

Should You Franchise?

Examine a list of Anderson businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Evaluating Franchise Opportunities. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and America's Best Inns & Suites. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Golf Franchises and Landscaping Franchises.

Note on Anderson Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Anderson.

Naming the Business

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Anderson, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another Indiana business.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Indiana.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Anderson customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Advertising Campaigns is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

The best business owners recognize that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Anderson, Indiana, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Indiana universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Anderson entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Anderson, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Anderson businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Anderson entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Anderson, Indiana

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Anderson.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Indiana

Starting a Business in Alexandria
Starting a Business in Angola

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Indiana
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary