Indiana Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Elkhart, Indiana

Are you starting a business in Elkhart, Indiana? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Elkhart.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Off Road Vehicle Dealership guide or our How to Start a Hotlines & Helping Lines Business guide.

Always keep in mind that Elkhart is the place where you are starting a business. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Elkhart. A critical consideration is whether Elkhart demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Elkhart, Indiana Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
16670
5-9 Employees
8325
10-19 Employees
6945
20-49 Employees
5580
50-99 Employees
2580
100-249 Employees
1545
250-499 Employees
270
500-999 Employees
120
1000+ Employees
15
All Elkhart Businesses
42050

As a new Elkhart entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Elkhart 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
8
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
7
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
21
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
33
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
9
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
4
Boat Building
3
Boat Dealers
2
Book Stores
2
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
11
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
3
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
17
Civic and Social Organizations
11
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
10
Commercial Photography
6
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Couriers
3
Credit Unions
11
Crown and Closure Manufacturing
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Custom Roll Forming
2
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
17
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
8
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
23
Electronic Shopping
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
10
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
2
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
6
Flat Glass Manufacturing
1
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
3
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
70
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
9
General Automotive Repair
30
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
9
Greeting Card Publishers
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
3
Hardware Manufacturing
4
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
14
Hardware Stores
3
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
7
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
5
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
9
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
53
Interior Design Services
5
Investigation Services
1
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
20
Jewelry Stores
5
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
23
Limited-Service Restaurants
81
Linen Supply
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
3
Locksmiths
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
23
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
6
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
2
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
2
Metal Stamping
7
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
9
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
9
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Home Manufacturing
15
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
11
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
9
Museums
3
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
14
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
10
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Chiropractors
8
Offices of Dentists
33
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
2
Portfolio Management
4
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
5
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
16
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
4
Residential Remodelers
23
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
5
Sales Financing
3
Sawmills
2
Securities Brokerage
14
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
4
Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
10
Shoe Stores
8
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
9
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
5
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
2
Tax Preparation Services
12
Taxi Service
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Help Services
13
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
6
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
4
Travel Agencies
8
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
3
Truss Manufacturing
2
Used Car Dealers
26
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
8
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
22
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
7
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
5

Should You Franchise?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Elkhart and it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. 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 Five Franchise Opportunities To Watch. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Tile Outlet Always in Stock and JW Tumbles. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Fast Food Franchises and Pizza Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Elkhart Business?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Indiana. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Elkhart.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

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 Company.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Elkhart, it's imperative that you check now that no other Indiana company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Elkhart, Indiana

A critical step is ensuring that you form your business as a legal structure. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Indiana, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Indiana. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Registered Agents. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Elkhart, Indiana, our information on Incorporating in Indiana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Indiana.

Marketing Your New Venture

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

You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Making the Most of Trade Shows discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Elkhart businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

We are here to help Elkhart businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Elkhart, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Elkhart, Indiana

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

More Business Startup Guides for Indiana

Starting a Business in Dunkirk
Starting a Business in Ellettsville

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