Ohio Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Kent, Ohio
Contemplating starting a business in Kent, Ohio? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Kent.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before you get too far along in the process, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Kent. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Which Business to Choose?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read 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 How to Start a Dog Breeders Business guide or our Opening a Therapeutic Massage Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Kent. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Kent. Don't forget to review Kent demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Kent, Ohio Demographic Information
Kent has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Kent demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Kent.
Businesses
As a new Kent entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Kent 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 Buying an Existing Kent Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Kent.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Company Formation in Kent, Ohio
It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
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. Just because you are starting a business in Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you are allowed to 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's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Kent, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Kent business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as How Much Venture Capital Is There?.
For Kent entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Kent. 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 Kent and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Kent, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Kent, Ohio
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Kent.
- Resources for Kent, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Kent entrepreneurs.
- Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
- Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.
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