Contemplating starting a business in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Chambersburg.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Most new ventures do not succeed, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Chambersburg. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading 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 How to Start an Auto & Truck Lifts Business guide or our How to Start a Pipe Cleaning Service Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Chambersburg has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Chambersburg. Only by spending some time analyzing Chambersburg demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Demographic Information
Chambersburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Chambersburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Chambersburg.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1982 |
| 5-9 Employees |
917 |
| 10-19 Employees |
591 |
| 20-49 Employees |
504 |
| 50-99 Employees |
156 |
| 100-249 Employees |
72 |
| 250-499 Employees |
33 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
3 |
| All Chambersburg Businesses |
4264 |
As a new Chambersburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Chambersburg 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 |
| Amusement Arcades |
3 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
7 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
35 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
6 |
| Child Day Care Services |
9 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
15 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
9 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
6 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
13 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
9 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
8 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
7 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
6 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
42 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
8 |
| General Automotive Repair |
15 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
9 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
2 |
| Industrial Pattern Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
25 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
7 |
| Jewelry Stores |
9 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
18 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Libraries and Archives |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
37 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
9 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
8 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nonwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
9 |
| Offices of Dentists |
21 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
30 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
4 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
2 |
| Plastics Bottle Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
14 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| Sawmills |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
4 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
7 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
7 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
8 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Chambersburg, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Nature's Soap Dish and Mr Food no Fuss Meals. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Auto Rental Franchises and Modeling Franchises.
Note on Chambersburg Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Chambersburg, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Naming the Business
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Chambersburg, it's imperative that you check now that no other Pennsylvania company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be 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 Pennsylvania, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Pennsylvania. In fact, you can 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 Subchapter S Corporations. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, our information on Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.
Moving Forward
Most new Chambersburg businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Chambersburg and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Chambersburg 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 Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Chambersburg.
More Startup Articles for Pennsylvania Cities
Starting a Business in Carlisle
Starting a Business in Chester
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Pennsylvania
