Illinois Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Arlington Heights, Illinois

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

Arlington Heights, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
22100
5-9 Employees
6396
10-19 Employees
4536
20-49 Employees
3432
50-99 Employees
1152
100-249 Employees
624
250-499 Employees
108
500-999 Employees
48
1000+ Employees
48
All Arlington Heights Businesses
38444

As a new Arlington Heights entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Arlington Heights 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
10
Ambulance Services
2
Architectural Services
23
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
40
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
1
Bowling Centers
3
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
8
Business to Business Electronic Markets
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
6
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
13
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Collection Agencies
6
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
10
Commercial Photography
4
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Facilities Management Services
4
Computer Systems Design Services
42
Computer Training
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
1
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
2
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
51
Dental Laboratories
9
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
4
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
3
Electrical Contractors
36
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
6
Engineering Services
32
Environmental Consulting Services
4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
16
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Floor Covering Stores
10
Flooring Contractors
9
Florists
5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
12
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
90
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Stores
11
General Automotive Repair
33
General Freight Trucking, Local
14
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
12
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
21
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
9
Hardware Stores
5
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
3
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
4
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
7
Interior Design Services
2
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
6
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
16
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
19
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
67
Limousine Service
8
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
3
Mail-Order Houses
4
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Masonry Contractors
10
Meat Markets
4
Media Representatives
3
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Stamping
2
Mixed Mode Transit Systems
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
23
Motion Picture and Video Production
7
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Nail Salons
4
New Car Dealers
8
New Housing Operative Builders
6
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
12
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
46
Offices of Chiropractors
24
Offices of Dentists
84
Offices of Lawyers
72
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Podiatrists
10
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
13
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
7
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
3
Packing and Crating
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
6
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
3
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
7
Professional Organizations
5
Public Relations Agencies
5
Quick Printing
12
Racetracks
1
Real Estate Credit
6
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
9
Residential Remodelers
57
Retail Bakeries
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
10
Sales Financing
3
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
16
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
5
Siding Contractors
3
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Software Publishers
6
Software Reproducing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Tax Preparation Services
8
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Temporary Help Services
6
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Tobacco Stores
3
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
68
Window Treatment Stores
4
Women's Clothing Stores
10

Have You Considered Franchising?

Visit the business district of Arlington Heights and 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?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Oberweis Franchise Systems, LLC and Pressed 4 Time. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Food and Drink Franchises and Insurance Franchises.

Note on Arlington Heights Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Arlington Heights, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Arlington Heights Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Arlington Heights.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

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.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Arlington Heights, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only Illinois company using the business name you have chosen.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Arlington Heights 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.

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

For Arlington Heights entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, browse our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Selling Tips

Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Arlington Heights business to do well.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Sales Training 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.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Arlington Heights, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into networking groups or organizations in which Arlington Heights entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

Most new Arlington Heights 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Arlington Heights and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Arlington Heights 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 Arlington Heights, Illinois

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Illinois

Starting a Business in Arcola
Starting a Business in Arthur

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Illinois
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary