Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Ardmore, Tennessee

Thinking about starting a business in Ardmore, Tennessee? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Ardmore.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you want to go into business for yourself?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ardmore. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Ardmore, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
384
5-9 Employees
228
10-19 Employees
84
20-49 Employees
36
50-99 Employees
24
100-249 Employees
12
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ardmore Businesses
768

As a new Ardmore entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ardmore 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Car Washes
1
Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Full-Service Restaurants
2
Furniture Stores
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Hardware Stores
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
5
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Tire Dealers
1
Underwear and Nightwear Knitting Mills
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Ardmore, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Franchise a Business. 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 Clintar Groundskeeping Services and Business Center Development. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Video and DVD Rental Franchises and Auto Parts and Tools Franchises.

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

Picking a Company Name

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.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

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

Startup Financing Basics

Raising money to fund your new Ardmore business is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Incubators.

For Ardmore entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Tennessee Angel Investors and our List of Tennessee Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Company

Whether your goal is to attract Ardmore customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising on the Web is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Moving Forward

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Ardmore and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ardmore, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ardmore, Tennessee

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

More Business Startup Guides for Tennessee

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

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