Ohio Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in West Alexandria, Ohio

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you sure 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.

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in West Alexandria. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

West Alexandria, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
120
5-9 Employees
54
10-19 Employees
24
20-49 Employees
21
50-99 Employees
3
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All West Alexandria Businesses
222

As a new West Alexandria entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in West Alexandria 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
Baked Goods Stores
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
3
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
1
Janitorial Services
1
Landscaping Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
2
Machine Shops
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Lawyers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1

Naming the Company

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in West Alexandria, it's critical that you ensure that no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in West Alexandria, Ohio

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Incorporating Online. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in West Alexandria, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your West Alexandria business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For West Alexandria entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, we have assembled a List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract West Alexandria customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Telemarketing Service Costs 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.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in West Alexandria, 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 West Alexandria and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in West Alexandria, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in West Alexandria, Ohio

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

  • Resources for West Alexandria, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist West Alexandria 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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