Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Dover, Tennessee

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?

With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Dover. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Dover, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3584
5-9 Employees
1008
10-19 Employees
816
20-49 Employees
192
50-99 Employees
96
100-249 Employees
48
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Dover Businesses
5744

As a new Dover entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dover 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
Beauty Salons
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
1
Business Associations
1
Cafeterias
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Convenience Stores
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Engineering Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
1
Home Centers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
3
Janitorial Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
6
Logging
3
New Car Dealers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Dentists
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Sawmills
3
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Veterinary Services
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Examine a list of Dover businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Franchising Process. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include The Screenmobile and Altracolor Systems. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Healthy Alternative Foods Franchises and Payroll Service Franchises.

Note on Dover Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Dover, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Selecting a Name For Your Business

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

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.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Dover, it's critical that you ensure that no other Tennessee company is using the business name you want to use.

Bring in Revenues

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Dover business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Dover, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Tennessee educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Dover networking organizations.

Next Steps

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Dover and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Dover 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 Dover, Tennessee

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Tennessee

Starting a Business in Dickson
Starting a Business in Dunlap

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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