Illinois Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Highland, Illinois

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Highland. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • 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. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

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? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.

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 Starting a DUI School guide or our How to Start a Diving Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Highland has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Highland. Make sure you fully understand Highland demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Highland, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7095
5-9 Employees
3267
10-19 Employees
2343
20-49 Employees
1188
50-99 Employees
363
100-249 Employees
231
250-499 Employees
165
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Highland Businesses
14652

As a new Highland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Highland 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Beauty Salons
6
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
2
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Business Associations
1
Car Washes
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Engineering Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
19
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
5
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Dentists
4
Offices of Lawyers
4
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Highland Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Highland.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Free Business Plan Templates. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

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

With your business being located in Highland, Illinois, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Highland entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Highland. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Highland 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 Highland, Illinois

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Illinois

Starting a Business in Heyworth
Starting a Business in Highland Park

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

 

 

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