Michigan Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Jackson, Michigan

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

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

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

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Jackson. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • 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. 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.

Jackson, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
49984
5-9 Employees
28528
10-19 Employees
18912
20-49 Employees
12096
50-99 Employees
4704
100-249 Employees
2160
250-499 Employees
720
500-999 Employees
96
1000+ Employees
144
All Jackson Businesses
117344

As a new Jackson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jackson 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
3
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
1
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
3
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
19
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
22
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Boat Dealers
3
Book Stores
6
Bowling Centers
4
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
5
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Cafeterias
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
9
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
5
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
16
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Bakeries
2
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Consumer Lending
4
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
18
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
5
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
28
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
19
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
16
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
4
Facilities Support Services
6
Family Clothing Stores
9
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
10
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
55
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Stores
9
General Automotive Repair
31
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Warehousing and Storage
5
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
7
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
33
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
9
Iron and Steel Forging
2
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
15
Jewelry Stores
16
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Landscaping Services
14
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
72
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
34
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
2
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
3
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
4
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
10
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
5
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
15
Offices of Dentists
47
Offices of Lawyers
57
Offices of Optometrists
9
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
6
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
4
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Payroll Services
8
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
14
Photography Studios, Portrait
9
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
1
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Portfolio Management
2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
14
Prepress Services
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
4
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
5
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Remodelers
16
Retail Bakeries
3
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
1
Roofing Contractors
6
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Savings Institutions
8
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
16
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
5
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
10
Spring (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Tax Preparation Services
11
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
11
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
2
Tour Operators
2
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
9
Women's Clothing Stores
12
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Jackson, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Representative franchise opportunities include Andy's Frozen Custard Franchising, L.L.C. and Boneheads Grilled Fish and Piri Piri Chicken. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Health and Diet Franchises and Ice Cream Franchises.

Note on Jackson Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Jackson.

Forming a Company in Jackson, Michigan

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as 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 Michigan, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Michigan. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. 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 ESOP Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Jackson, Michigan, our web page covering Incorporating in Michigan may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Michigan.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Michigan.

Marketing Your New Venture

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

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Facebook Advertising 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.

Bring in Revenues

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Jackson business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Jackson, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

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

We are here to help Jackson businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Jackson 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 Jackson, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Jackson, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Jackson entrepreneurs.
  • Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
  • Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

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