Contemplating starting a business in Dayton, Tennessee? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Dayton.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
Most new businesses do not succeed, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, 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:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Dayton. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
Dayton, Tennessee Demographic Information
Dayton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Dayton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Dayton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
9826 |
| 5-9 Employees |
4284 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1938 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1836 |
| 50-99 Employees |
357 |
| 100-249 Employees |
153 |
| 250-499 Employees |
357 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
51 |
| All Dayton Businesses |
18802 |
As a new Dayton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dayton 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Beauty Salons |
3 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
|
Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Cellulosic Organic Fiber Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
9 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Florists |
3 |
|
Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
17 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
|
General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
7 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
3 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
19 |
|
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
|
Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
2 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
1 |
| Offices of Dentists |
7 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
8 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
1 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
|
Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheer Hosiery Mills |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
|
Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
2 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
|
Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Dayton, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. 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 Buck's Pizza Franchising Corporation and Family Financial Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Embroidery Franchises and Meal Preparation Franchises.
Note on Dayton Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Dayton.
Marketing Your New Business
To grow your Dayton business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Introduction to Advertising discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Building Up Your Sales
Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Dayton business to do well.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Selling Products on eBay offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Dayton, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Tennessee universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking organizations for Dayton entrepreneurs.
Never Give Up
Most new Dayton 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Dayton and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Dayton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Dayton, Tennessee
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Dayton.
- Resources for Dayton, Tennessee Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Dayton entrepreneurs.
- Tennessee Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Tennessee.
- Tennessee Small Business Development Center - If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or you are thinking about starting a new business, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) is ready to help you every step of the way!
- Dayton, Tennessee Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Dayton, Tennessee newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Dayton area.
- Dayton, Tennessee Payroll Services - This list includes Dayton, Tennessee payroll services, national payroll services for Dayton, and helpful information on choosing a Dayton payroll service.
- Dayton, Tennessee Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Dayton, Tennessee, such as business brokers in Dayton and other helpful information on how to buy a Dayton business.
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