Starting a Business in Bellefontaine, Ohio

Contemplating starting a business in Bellefontaine, Ohio? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Bellefontaine.

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at 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 Advertising Specialty Wholesale & Manufacturing Business guide or our How to Start a Factoring Service guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Bellefontaine. Some businesses will do better in Bellefontaine than others. Don't forget to review Bellefontaine demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Bellefontaine, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	726
5-9 Employees	327
10-19 Employees	222
20-49 Employees	126
50-99 Employees	36
100-249 Employees	33
250-499 Employees	12
500-999 Employees	9
1000+ Employees	0
All Bellefontaine Businesses	1491

As a new Bellefontaine entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bellefontaine 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
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing	1
Ambulance Services	1
Architectural Services	2
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	1
Automobile Driving Schools	1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Beauty Salons	9
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	3
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	3
Business Associations	4
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Cafeterias	1
Car Washes	1
Caterers	2
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	1
Civic and Social Organizations	8
Commercial Lithographic Printing	1
Computer and Software Stores	1
Computer Systems Design Services	1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining	1
Consumer Lending	2
Convenience Stores	2
Credit Unions	1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers	1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers	1
Discount Department Stores	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	6
Elementary and Secondary Schools	2
Emergency and Other Relief Services	3
Engineering Services	1
Family Clothing Stores	2
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	3
Floor Covering Stores	2
Florists	2
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing	1
Food Service Contractors	1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation	1
Framing Contractors	1
Full-Service Restaurants	12
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	5
General Automotive Repair	5
General Freight Trucking, Local	2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Rental Centers	3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	3
Historical Sites	1
Home Centers	2
Home Health Care Services	2
Homes for the Elderly	2
Household Appliance Stores	2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	13
Investment Advice	2
Janitorial Services	1
Jewelry Stores	2
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Landscaping Services	9
Limited-Service Restaurants	18
Limousine Service	1
Locksmiths	1
Machine Shops	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Men's Clothing Stores	1
Metal Stamping	1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
Nail Salons	1
Natural Gas Distribution	1
Natural Gas Liquid Extraction	1
New Car Dealers	4
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	2
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Administrative Services	1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	5
Offices of Chiropractors	6
Offices of Dentists	10
Offices of Lawyers	10
Offices of Optometrists	4
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Optical Goods Stores	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Packing and Crating	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Passenger Car Leasing	1
Periodical Publishers	1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Photography Studios, Portrait	3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing	1
Radio Stations	1
Real Estate Credit	2
Residential Property Managers	4
Roofing Contractors	1
Savings Institutions	2
Securities Brokerage	2
Security Guards and Patrol Services	1
Shoe Stores	2
Siding Contractors	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Solid Waste Collection	1
Solid Waste Landfill	1
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Sports and Recreation Instruction	1
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	4
Tire Dealers	3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Travel Agencies	1
Used Car Dealers	5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	3
Veterinary Services	3
Video Tape and Disc Rental	2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	4
Women's Clothing Stores	1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Bellefontaine Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Bellefontaine.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Forming a Company in Bellefontaine, Ohio

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will choose 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, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate wherever you want. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Bellefontaine, Ohio, our web page covering Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Bellefontaine business, you need to focus on sales.

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.

Selling Products on eBay 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 Bellefontaine, Ohio, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Bellefontaine entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Bellefontaine, 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 Bellefontaine 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 Bellefontaine, Ohio

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

• Resources for Bellefontaine, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Bellefontaine 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.
• Bellefontaine, Ohio Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Bellefontaine, Ohio newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Bellefontaine area.
• Bellefontaine, Ohio Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Bellefontaine, Ohio area radio stations.

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