Illinois Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Benton, Illinois

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

Benton, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5533
5-9 Employees
2607
10-19 Employees
1287
20-49 Employees
693
50-99 Employees
297
100-249 Employees
33
250-499 Employees
66
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Benton Businesses
10516

As a new Benton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Benton 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Building
2
Boat Dealers
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Car Washes
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
2
Dental Laboratories
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
1
Engineering Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Full-Service Restaurants
12
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
8
Janitorial Services
4
Jewelry Stores
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
13
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
New Car Dealers
4
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Lawyers
13
Offices of Optometrists
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Payroll Services
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Taxi Service
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Benton, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Marketing Support. 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 Planet Popolicious Franchises and Maui Wowi Fresh Hawaiian Blends. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Fitness Franchises and Insurance Franchises.

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

Selecting a Name For Your Startup

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Benton, it's very important that you make sure no other Illinois company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Benton business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. 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 raising capital, such as Investor Turnoffs.

For Benton entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, we have assembled a List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Benton customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Comparing Advertising to PR is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Benton, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any Benton networking organizations.

Never Give Up

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

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 Benton and throughout the United States . 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 Benton, Illinois

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

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