Illinois Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Wheaton, Illinois

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Wheaton. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • Peruse Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening an Architecture Firm guide or our Starting a Mortgage Loan Reduction Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Wheaton has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Wheaton than others. Study Wheaton demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Wheaton, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
13060
5-9 Employees
3780
10-19 Employees
2712
20-49 Employees
1584
50-99 Employees
516
100-249 Employees
300
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
24
All Wheaton Businesses
22012

As a new Wheaton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wheaton 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
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
10
Art Dealers
3
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
34
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Book Publishers
4
Book Stores
3
Bowling Centers
2
Business Associations
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
29
Dental Laboratories
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
5
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
3
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
2
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
6
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
4
Engineering Services
18
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
7
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
7
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
5
Food Service Contractors
8
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Full-Service Restaurants
34
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
12
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
5
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
37
Interior Design Services
13
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
12
Jewelry Stores
6
Land Subdivision
8
Landscape Architectural Services
5
Landscaping Services
16
Language Schools
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
37
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
1
Marketing Consulting Services
17
Masonry Contractors
2
Meat Markets
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
8
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
23
Offices of Chiropractors
13
Offices of Dentists
54
Offices of Lawyers
142
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
13
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Political Organizations
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
6
Quick Printing
3
Real Estate Credit
3
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Residential Property Managers
3
Residential Remodelers
23
Roofing Contractors
5
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
7
Securities Brokerage
12
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
8
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Software Publishers
3
Sound Recording Studios
3
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
5
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Temporary Help Services
3
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
8
Tobacco Stores
1
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
10
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
8
Women's Clothing Stores
10

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Wheaton or are selling to customers throughout Illinois, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Writing Great Proposals is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Wheaton, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Wheaton networking organizations.

Next Steps

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Wheaton businesses to be successful. 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 Wheaton, Illinois

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

More Business Startup Guides for Illinois

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