Kentucky Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Shelbyville, Kentucky

Thinking about starting a business in Shelbyville, Kentucky? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Shelbyville.

Do You Have What It Takes?

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

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Shelbyville. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • 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. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Optometrists Business guide or our Starting a Teacher Associations Business guide.

Don't forget that you are opening your new business in Shelbyville. Some businesses will do better in Shelbyville than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Shelbyville demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Shelbyville, Kentucky Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4675
5-9 Employees
1995
10-19 Employees
1125
20-49 Employees
930
50-99 Employees
255
100-249 Employees
210
250-499 Employees
105
500-999 Employees
15
1000+ Employees
0
All Shelbyville Businesses
9310

As a new Shelbyville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Shelbyville 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
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Beauty Salons
5
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
1
Business Associations
1
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Consumer Lending
5
Convenience Stores
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Custom Roll Forming
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
7
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
7
Envelope Manufacturing
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Floor Covering Stores
3
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Framing Contractors
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
12
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
8
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
5
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
17
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
8
Limited-Service Restaurants
21
Linen Supply
1
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Portfolio Management
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Quick Printing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Property Managers
3
Residential Remodelers
2
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
3
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Shoe Stores
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Temporary Help Services
7
Temporary Shelters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
6
Tobacco Stores
2
Travel Agencies
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Shelbyville Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Kentucky. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Shelbyville.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Naming the Business

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.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Shelbyville, it's critical that you ensure that no Kentucky company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Kentucky.

Promoting Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Shelbyville customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Transit Advertising is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Shelbyville and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville, Kentucky

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

  • Resources for Shelbyville, Kentucky Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Shelbyville entrepreneurs.
  • Kentucky Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Kentucky.
  • Kentucky Small Business Development Center - The Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) has been assisting Kentucky small business community for more than 25 years. KSBDC is co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is administered by the University of Kentucky in partnership with regional universities, community and private colleges, and the private sector.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Kentucky

Starting a Business in Sebree
Starting a Business in Shepherdsville

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