Oregon Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Eugene, Oregon

Are you starting a business in Eugene, Oregon? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Eugene.

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Most new ventures fail, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Eugene. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Eugene, Oregon Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9957
5-9 Employees
3840
10-19 Employees
2604
20-49 Employees
1890
50-99 Employees
555
100-249 Employees
273
250-499 Employees
66
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
9
All Eugene Businesses
19203

As a new Eugene entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Eugene 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
2
Advertising Agencies
17
Air Traffic Control
1
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
33
Armored Car Services
1
Art Dealers
6
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
8
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
52
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
6
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
7
Boat Building
2
Boat Dealers
5
Book Publishers
8
Book Stores
13
Bowling Centers
4
Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing
2
Building Inspection Services
7
Business Associations
19
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
12
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
10
Cemeteries and Crematories
9
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
11
Child Day Care Services
50
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
27
Claims Adjusting
5
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Bakeries
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
16
Commercial Photography
5
Commercial Screen Printing
7
Community Food Services
3
Computer and Software Stores
9
Computer Systems Design Services
32
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
4
Consumer Lending
14
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
42
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
6
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Couriers
4
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
23
Custom Computer Programming Services
33
Custom Roll Forming
1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
8
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
18
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
9
Direct Mail Advertising
4
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
3
Discount Department Stores
5
Display Advertising
6
Drafting Services
6
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
35
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
17
Educational Support Services
20
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
46
Electronic Shopping
12
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
46
Environmental Consulting Services
6
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
10
Family Clothing Stores
21
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
2
Fine Arts Schools
12
Finish Carpentry Contractors
18
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
23
Flight Training
2
Flooring Contractors
23
Florists
10
Flour Milling
1
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
8
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Framing Contractors
7
Freight Transportation Arrangement
10
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
3
Full-Service Restaurants
163
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
27
General Automotive Repair
64
General Freight Trucking, Local
12
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
4
General Warehousing and Storage
5
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
10
Graphic Design Services
15
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
2
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
4
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing
1
Historical Sites
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
10
Home Centers
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
29
Household Appliance Stores
11
Human Rights Organizations
4
Hydroelectric Power Generation
2
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
131
Interior Design Services
9
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
6
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
3
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
53
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
4
Jewelry Stores
24
Land Subdivision
14
Landscape Architectural Services
10
Landscaping Services
70
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
14
Limited-Service Restaurants
152
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
10
Locksmiths
7
Logging
13
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
3
Machine Shops
12
Mail-Order Houses
12
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Marketing Consulting Services
6
Masonry Contractors
9
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
3
Medical Laboratories
8
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
5
Mobile Food Services
10
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
39
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motor Home Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
7
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
8
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
5
Nail Salons
6
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
16
New Housing Operative Builders
13
Newspaper Publishers
5
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Office Administrative Services
12
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
9
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
78
Offices of Chiropractors
38
Offices of Dentists
114
Offices of Lawyers
211
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
26
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Optical Goods Stores
10
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
6
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
40
Parking Lots and Garages
14
Passenger Car Rental
10
Payroll Services
3
Periodical Publishers
11
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
10
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
9
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
18
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Political Organizations
5
Prepress Services
2
Private Mail Centers
8
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
9
Public Relations Agencies
8
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
4
Real Estate Credit
20
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
14
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
2
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
2
Residential Remodelers
58
Retail Bakeries
5
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
6
Roofing Contractors
16
Rooming and Boarding Houses
17
Sales Financing
5
Savings Institutions
11
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
5
Schiffli Machine Embroidery
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
31
Security Guards and Patrol Services
7
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
8
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
20
Siding Contractors
6
Sign Manufacturing
11
Site Preparation Contractors
16
Soft Drink Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
19
Solid Waste Collection
9
Sound Recording Studios
2
Special Needs Transportation
4
Sporting Goods Stores
30
Sports and Recreation Instruction
12
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Storage Battery Manufacturing
1
Support Activities for Forestry
15
Tax Preparation Services
21
Taxi Service
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Shelters
6
Testing Laboratories
6
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
6
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Timber Tract Operations
5
Tire Dealers
17
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Tobacco Stores
7
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tour Operators
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
9
Truss Manufacturing
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
41
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
26
Video Tape and Disc Rental
15
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
17
Voluntary Health Organizations
5
Web Search Portals
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
35
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wineries
7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Women's Clothing Stores
24
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Wood Preservation
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Forming a Company in Eugene, Oregon

A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.

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 Oregon, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Oregon. As it turns out, 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as C Corp Versus S Corp. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Eugene, Oregon, our information on Incorporating in Oregon may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Oregon.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Eugene 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.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Eugene entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of Oregon Angel Investors and our List of Oregon Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Eugene customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a excellent marketing plan.

You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. 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. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Eugene business to do well.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Anticipating Prospect Responses offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Interviews With Eugene Entrepreneurs

Enjoy these interviews we've had with Eugene entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

Most new Eugene 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 Eugene and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Eugene, Oregon

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

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