Ohio Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Zanesville, Ohio

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

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Van & Truck Conversions & Accessories Business guide or our Opening a Mergers & Acquisitions Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Zanesville. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Zanesville. Don't forget to review Zanesville demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Zanesville, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4256
5-9 Employees
2352
10-19 Employees
1368
20-49 Employees
906
50-99 Employees
312
100-249 Employees
156
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
12
All Zanesville Businesses
9428

As a new Zanesville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Zanesville 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
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
3
Armored Car Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
11
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
23
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Boat Dealers
1
Bowling Centers
2
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
3
Cafeterias
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
5
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
17
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
18
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
5
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
3
Consumer Lending
6
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
7
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
25
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
12
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
8
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
7
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
3
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
4
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
41
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
15
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Glass Container Manufacturing
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
4
Industrial Launderers
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
35
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Investment Advice
2
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
14
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
56
Linen Supply
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
6
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Markets
3
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
7
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
11
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Chiropractors
8
Offices of Dentists
34
Offices of Lawyers
27
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
13
Photography Studios, Portrait
7
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
2
Radio Stations
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
3
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
1
Roofing Contractors
3
Satellite Telecommunications
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
7
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
12
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
5
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
7
Temporary Help Services
4
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
7
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
7
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
5
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Naming the Company

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 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 Zanesville, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Ohio business.

The Role of the 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. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.

The Art of Selling

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Zanesville or are selling to customers throughout Ohio, 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.

Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Zanesville, Ohio, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Zanesville entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Zanesville businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Zanesville, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Zanesville, Ohio

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

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