Illinois Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Gilman, Illinois

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Gilman. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Gilman, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
432
5-9 Employees
240
10-19 Employees
132
20-49 Employees
96
50-99 Employees
36
100-249 Employees
12
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Gilman Businesses
948

As a new Gilman entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gilman 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
Business Associations
1
Child Day Care Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Florists
1
Full-Service Restaurants
3
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
7
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Soybean Processing
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Gilman Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Gilman.

If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Startup Financing Basics

Raising money to fund your new Gilman business will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Gilman entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Gilman, Illinois, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Illinois educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Gilman entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Gilman, 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 Gilman and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Gilman 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 Gilman, Illinois

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

More Startup Articles for Illinois Cities

Starting a Business in Gillespie
Starting a Business in Glasford

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

 

 

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