Contemplating starting a business in Ashland, Oregon? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Ashland.
Which Business to Choose?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good 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 a Clinics & Medical Centers Business guide or our Opening a Sewing Machines Industrial Dealers Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Ashland. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Ashland. A critical consideration is whether Ashland demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Ashland, Oregon Demographic Information
Ashland has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ashland demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ashland.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
31008 |
| 5-9 Employees |
10863 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5712 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3672 |
| 50-99 Employees |
816 |
| 100-249 Employees |
306 |
| 250-499 Employees |
102 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Ashland Businesses |
52479 |
As a new Ashland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ashland 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 |
3 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
4 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
22 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Breweries |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
5 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
11 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
7 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
59 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
5 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hat, Cap, and Millinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
13 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
2 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Land Subdivision |
7 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
15 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
19 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
8 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Luggage Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
2 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
12 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
22 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
12 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
4 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
8 |
| Residential Remodelers |
18 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Skiing Facilities |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
14 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
3 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
7 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
4 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
6 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
2 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
7 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Ashland, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How Franchises Work. 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 Intelligent Office and A Day To Cherish Wedding Videos. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cell Phone Franchises and Automotive Services Franchises.
Note on Ashland Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Ashland.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ashland Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Oregon. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Ashland.
If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Obtaining startup financing for your Ashland 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 504 Loans.
For Ashland entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Oregon Angel Investors and our List of Oregon Venture Capital Firms.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
The best business owners recognize that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Ashland, Oregon, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local Oregon educational institutions. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking organizations for Ashland entrepreneurs.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Ashland, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Ashland businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ashland, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ashland, Oregon
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ashland.
- Resources for Ashland, Oregon Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ashland entrepreneurs.
- Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oregon.
- Oregon Small Business Development Center - Oregon Small Business Development Centers use a client-centered approach to deliver counseling, training, information and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management. There is no fee for their assistance.
- Ashland, Oregon Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Ashland, Oregon newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Ashland area.
- Ashland, Oregon Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Ashland, Oregon area radio stations.
- Ashland, Oregon Payroll Services - This list includes Ashland, Oregon payroll services, national payroll services for Ashland, and helpful information on choosing a Ashland payroll service.
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