Pennsylvania Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Hershey, Pennsylvania

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

Hershey, Pennsylvania Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1480
5-9 Employees
774
10-19 Employees
492
20-49 Employees
306
50-99 Employees
48
100-249 Employees
42
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
30
All Hershey Businesses
3208

As a new Hershey entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hershey 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Beauty Salons
17
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
5
Building Inspection Services
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Child Day Care Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Electrical Contractors
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
7
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Full-Service Restaurants
25
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
14
Interior Design Services
1
Jewelry Stores
4
Landscaping Services
9
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
5
Masonry Contractors
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Museums
3
Nail Salons
2
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Chiropractors
6
Offices of Dentists
23
Offices of Lawyers
8
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Payroll Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Portfolio Management
4
Professional Organizations
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Remodelers
7
Savings Institutions
5
Securities Brokerage
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
9
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Software Publishers
1
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
8
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Hershey and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Most business experts recommend that you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Understanding Franchise Contracts. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Super Wash, Inc. and Jazzercise. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Vending Franchises and eBay Franchises.

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

What About Buying an Existing Hershey Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Pennsylvania. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Hershey.

If you are headed down the path of buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new Hershey business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Borrowing Money from Friends and Family.

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

Getting the Word Out About Your New Company

To rise above the crowd in Hershey and accelerate your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Creating a Press Kit is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Pennsylvania universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Hershey entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Hershey, 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.

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Hershey, Pennsylvania

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

More Business Startup Guides for Pennsylvania

Starting a Business in Hellertown
Starting a Business in Holmes

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