Michigan Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Jenison, Michigan

Are you starting a business in Jenison, Michigan? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Jenison.

Which Business to Choose?

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 Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 Paper Boxboard Business guide or our Opening a Freight Trucking Business guide.

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

Jenison, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1019
5-9 Employees
378
10-19 Employees
315
20-49 Employees
183
50-99 Employees
21
100-249 Employees
18
250-499 Employees
9
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Jenison Businesses
1943

As a new Jenison entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jenison 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
7
Book Stores
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
7
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Electrical Contractors
9
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
9
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
6
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
General Automotive Repair
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
2
HMO Medical Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
13
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
7
Jewelry Stores
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
7
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
4
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
10
Meat Markets
1
Nail Salons
1
New Housing Operative Builders
7
Newspaper Publishers
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
8
Offices of Dentists
14
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
15
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Professional Organizations
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
9
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
4
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Help Services
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
11
Women's Clothing Stores
2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Jenison, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Opportunities in International Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include West Sanitation and Between Rounds. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Textile Repair Franchises.

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

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Jenison, it's very important that you make sure no other Michigan company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Jenison, Michigan

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation 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. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 C Corp Versus S Corp. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Jenison, Michigan, our information on Incorporating in Michigan may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Michigan.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Jenison business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Bank Credit Lines.

For Jenison entrepreneurs who need startup capital, browse our List of Michigan Angel Investors and our List of Michigan Venture Capital Firms.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Jenison, Michigan, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Michigan universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Jenison entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Jenison and throughout the United States . 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 Jenison, Michigan

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

  • Resources for Jenison, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Jenison 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.

More Business Startup Guides for Michigan

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Starting a Business in Kalamazoo

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