Are you starting a business in Decatur, Illinois? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Decatur.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Finding Your Niche in Life.
Remember that you are starting a business in Decatur. Some businesses will do better in Decatur than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Decatur demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Decatur has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Decatur demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Decatur.
As a new Decatur entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Decatur 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 |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
23 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
21 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
10 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
|
Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
6 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
8 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
4 |
|
Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
4 |
| Child and Youth Services |
7 |
| Child Day Care Services |
10 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
21 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
|
Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
5 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
1 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
|
Computer Training |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
13 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
|
Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
3 |
| Couriers |
7 |
| Credit Unions |
18 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
|
Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
2 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
25 |
|
Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
6 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
19 |
| Electrical Contractors |
15 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
|
Engineering Services |
14 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
5 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
|
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fats and Oils Refining and Blending |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
10 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
5 |
| Florists |
5 |
|
Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
12 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
2 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
58 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
19 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
|
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
9 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
|
Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
3 |
| Industrial Launderers |
6 |
| Industrial Pattern Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Valve Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
46 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Iron Foundries |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
20 |
|
Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
29 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
62 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
|
Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
11 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
|
Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
|
Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
11 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
9 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
|
Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
16 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
37 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
52 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
5 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
7 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
4 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
13 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
5 |
| Plastics Bottle Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
|
Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
3 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
|
Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
9 |
| Residential Remodelers |
14 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
11 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
3 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
|
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
13 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
| Siding Contractors |
4 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors |
8 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
8 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
3 |
| Soybean Processing |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
10 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
9 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
|
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
9 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
5 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
11 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
8 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Wet Corn Milling |
3 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Getting your Decatur business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
To grow your Decatur business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Newspaper Advertising Costs is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Decatur or are selling to customers throughout Illinois, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
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.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Decatur. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Decatur 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.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Decatur.