Ohio Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Defiance, Ohio

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

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Before quitting your day job, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Defiance. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at Starting a Company. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Defiance, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1822
5-9 Employees
966
10-19 Employees
588
20-49 Employees
468
50-99 Employees
144
100-249 Employees
72
250-499 Employees
24
500-999 Employees
6
1000+ Employees
6
All Defiance Businesses
4096

As a new Defiance entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Defiance 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
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
4
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
1
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
7
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
9
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Floor Covering Stores
4
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
22
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
5
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
3
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
14
Internet Service Providers
2
Iron Foundries
1
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
4
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
19
Limousine Service
1
Machine Shops
4
Masonry Contractors
1
Meat Markets
2
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
2
Mobile Food Services
1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
5
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
2
Political Organizations
1
Quick Printing
1
Real Estate Credit
3
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Remodelers
9
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Securities Brokerage
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
2
Shoe Stores
3
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Tax Preparation Services
2
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Defiance Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Defiance.

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

Naming the Company

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Defiance, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Ohio company using the business name you have chosen.

Forming a Company in Defiance, Ohio

It's essential 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.

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 Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 Dissolving a Corporation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Defiance, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. 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 Business Plan Outsourcing. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Defiance, Ohio

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

  • Resources for Defiance, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Defiance entrepreneurs.
  • Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
  • Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Ohio

Starting a Business in Dayton
Starting a Business in Delaware

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Ohio
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