Indiana Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Terre Haute, Indiana

Need help starting a business in Terre Haute, Indiana? We've got the information you need to open a business in Terre Haute.

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Most new ventures do not succeed, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Terre Haute. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Terre Haute, Indiana Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3391
5-9 Employees
1671
10-19 Employees
1200
20-49 Employees
771
50-99 Employees
225
100-249 Employees
171
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
15
1000+ Employees
12
All Terre Haute Businesses
7492

As a new Terre Haute entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Terre Haute 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
5
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
4
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
3
Architectural Services
4
Armored Car Services
2
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
20
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
1
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
18
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
5
Building Inspection Services
3
Cafeterias
8
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
7
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
8
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Child and Youth Services
3
Child Day Care Services
58
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
23
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Commercial Flexographic Printing
6
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
9
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
6
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
7
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
8
Dental Laboratories
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Display Advertising
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
29
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electric Power Distribution
6
Electrical Contractors
20
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
16
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
11
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
4
Florists
8
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
5
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Full-Service Restaurants
84
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
8
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
18
General Automotive Repair
21
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
15
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Household Appliance Stores
5
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
56
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Investment Advice
7
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
18
Jewelry Stores
12
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
21
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
82
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
12
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
3
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
7
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Stamping
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Chiropractors
11
Offices of Dentists
49
Offices of Lawyers
61
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Optical Goods Stores
7
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
3
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
6
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
5
Paperboard Mills
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
14
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
5
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
2
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
23
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
2
Roofing Contractors
6
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
3
Sawmills
1
Securities Brokerage
13
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
3
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Tax Preparation Services
9
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
8
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
9
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
4
Travel Agencies
3
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Wet Corn Milling
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
12
Wood Preservation
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Choosing a Business Name

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Terre Haute, it's imperative that you check now that no other Indiana company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, 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 Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Indiana.

Raising Money for Your Venture

Getting your Terre Haute business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Attracting Investors.

For Terre Haute entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, browse our List of Indiana Angel Investors and our List of Indiana Venture Capital Firms.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Terre Haute, Indiana, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Indiana universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Terre Haute entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

Most new Terre Haute businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

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

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

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Starting a Business in Tell City
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