Illinois Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Bloomington, Illinois

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

Bloomington, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
24160
5-9 Employees
12288
10-19 Employees
8976
20-49 Employees
5592
50-99 Employees
2280
100-249 Employees
1176
250-499 Employees
168
500-999 Employees
120
1000+ Employees
96
All Bloomington Businesses
54856

As a new Bloomington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bloomington 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
4
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
2
Architectural Services
4
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
17
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
39
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
2
Books Printing
2
Bowling Centers
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
12
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Child and Youth Services
7
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
17
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
7
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
2
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
4
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
3
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
7
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
9
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
27
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
10
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electrical Contractors
26
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
9
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
13
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
4
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
13
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
4
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
8
Flooring Contractors
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
14
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Framing Contractors
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
77
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
7
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
16
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
5
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
4
Household Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturing
1
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Launderers
2
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
6
Janitorial Services
26
Jewelry Stores
10
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
26
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
7
Limited-Service Restaurants
58
Limousine Service
2
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
7
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
6
Meat Markets
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
11
New Housing Operative Builders
9
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
24
Offices of Chiropractors
20
Offices of Dentists
44
Offices of Lawyers
73
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
Optical Goods Stores
10
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
16
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
7
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Political Organizations
1
Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
4
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
2
Real Estate Credit
7
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
25
Retail Bakeries
4
Roofing Contractors
4
Rooming and Boarding Houses
3
Savings Institutions
3
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
4
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Securities Brokerage
10
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Shoe Stores
9
Siding Contractors
4
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
15
Software Publishers
4
Solid Waste Collection
2
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Soybean Processing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
12
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
8
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
2
Travel Agencies
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
18
Women's Clothing Stores
15
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Bloomington Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bloomington.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Forming a Company in Bloomington, Illinois

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Illinois, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Illinois. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Bloomington, Illinois, our web page covering Incorporating in Illinois may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Illinois.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, 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 Expert Advice on Business Plans. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new Bloomington business is not an easy task. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Bloomington entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, you'll want to take a look at our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Bloomington and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Dealing with Angry Customers discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good business owners recognize that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Bloomington, Illinois, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Illinois educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Bloomington entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Bloomington 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Bloomington and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Bloomington, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bloomington, Illinois

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Illinois

Starting a Business in Benton
Starting a Business in Blue Mound

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

 

 

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