Illinois Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Glenview, Illinois

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Most new companies fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Glenview. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • 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. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Glenview, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7300
5-9 Employees
1626
10-19 Employees
1080
20-49 Employees
684
50-99 Employees
294
100-249 Employees
168
250-499 Employees
66
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
12
All Glenview Businesses
11260

As a new Glenview entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Glenview 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
1
Advertising Agencies
4
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Amusement Arcades
4
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
10
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automatic Vending Machine Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
21
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
5
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
10
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
16
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Bureaus
2
Credit Unions
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
20
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
3
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
7
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
25
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
12
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
5
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
13
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Flooring Contractors
5
Florists
5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
9
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
56
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
5
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
8
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
34
Interior Design Services
6
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
7
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscape Architectural Services
4
Landscaping Services
25
Language Schools
1
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
37
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
3
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
3
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
7
Meat Markets
2
Media Representatives
4
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
14
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Museums
2
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
3
New Car Dealers
7
New Housing Operative Builders
6
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Administrative Services
15
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
17
Offices of Dentists
58
Offices of Lawyers
30
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
19
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
2
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
9
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
5
Private Mail Centers
1
Public Relations Agencies
3
Quick Printing
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
11
Record Production
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Remodelers
41
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
3
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
9
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Siding Contractors
3
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
10
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
8
Sports Teams and Clubs
2
Tax Preparation Services
3
Taxi Service
3
Temporary Help Services
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
8
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Used Merchandise Stores
6
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
35
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Choosing a Business Name

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.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Glenview, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another Illinois business.

The Role of the Business Plan

Writing a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Mistakes. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Startup Financing Basics

Raising money to fund your new Glenview 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.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Business Credit Evaluation.

For Glenview entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Glenview, Illinois, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Glenview networking organizations.

Glenview Entrepreneur Interviews

We're compiling a number of interviews with Glenview entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Never Give Up

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Glenview and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Glenview, Illinois

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Illinois

Starting a Business in Glen Ellyn
Starting a Business in Golconda

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Illinois
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