Ohio Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Wooster, Ohio

Need help starting a business in Wooster, Ohio? We've got the information you need to open a business in Wooster.

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 help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to 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 Opening an Emergency Ambulance Service guide or our How to Start a Railroad Ticket Agencies Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Wooster has some implications. If Wooster already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Wooster demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Wooster, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3226
5-9 Employees
1488
10-19 Employees
1104
20-49 Employees
828
50-99 Employees
336
100-249 Employees
138
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
6
All Wooster Businesses
7192

As a new Wooster entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wooster 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
1
Ambulance Services
2
Amusement Arcades
1
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Beauty Salons
18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
2
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
14
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
3
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
5
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Electrical Contractors
19
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
5
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Fabric Coating Mills
1
Family Clothing Stores
3
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
4
Food Service Contractors
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
31
Furniture Stores
7
General Automotive Repair
13
General Freight Trucking, Local
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
35
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
19
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
29
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Logging
1
Machine Shops
4
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
2
Meat Markets
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Stamping
1
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
3
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
7
New Housing Operative Builders
3
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
8
Offices of Chiropractors
6
Offices of Dentists
20
Offices of Lawyers
18
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
4
Residential Property Managers
2
Roofing Contractors
1
Sales Financing
1
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
5
Securities Brokerage
4
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Tax Preparation Services
3
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Temporary Shelters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
2
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
2
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
6
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
3
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Wooster, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include The New York Butcher Shoppe and Wholly Crap. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Inspection Franchises and Print and Sign Franchises.

Note on Wooster Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Wooster.

Forming a Company in Wooster, Ohio

It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating 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. If you are starting a business in Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Avoiding Personal Liability in Business. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Wooster, Ohio, our web page covering Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Software. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Obtaining startup financing for your Wooster business 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.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as 504 Loans.

For Wooster entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Wooster business to do well.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling Stuff on the Web offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Next Steps

Most new Wooster 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Wooster and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Wooster, Ohio

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

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