Illinois Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Jacksonville, Illinois
Thinking about starting a business in Jacksonville, Illinois? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Jacksonville.
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? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good Business Ideas.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Warehouse Representatives Business guide or our Starting a Water Testing Laboratories Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Jacksonville. Some businesses will do better in Jacksonville than others. Don't forget to review Jacksonville demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Jacksonville, Illinois Demographic Information
Jacksonville has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Jacksonville demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Jacksonville.
Businesses
As a new Jacksonville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jacksonville 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.
Businesses
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Jacksonville, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include DOTI Design Stores and Maids To Order, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Fitness Franchises and Insurance Franchises.
Note on Jacksonville Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Jacksonville.
Forming a Company in Jacksonville, Illinois
A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
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 Illinois, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Illinois. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
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 Subchapter S Corporations. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Jacksonville, Illinois, our information on Incorporating in Illinois may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Illinois.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Jacksonville business the capital it needs to succeed 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 finding startup capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Jacksonville entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Jacksonville, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Jacksonville businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Jacksonville, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Jacksonville, Illinois
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Jacksonville.
- Resources for Jacksonville, Illinois Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Jacksonville entrepreneurs.
- Illinois Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Illinois.
- Illinois Small Business Development Center - Illinois Small Business Development Centers located throughout the state provide assistance to new and existing small businesses.
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