Illinois Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Fulton, Illinois

Need help starting a business in Fulton, Illinois? We've got the information you need to open a business in Fulton.

Fulton, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2376
5-9 Employees
900
10-19 Employees
504
20-49 Employees
180
50-99 Employees
108
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Fulton Businesses
4140

As a new Fulton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fulton 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
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Book Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Consumer Lending
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Framing Contractors
1
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Interior Design Services
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Marinas
1
Meat Markets
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Siding Contractors
2
Tax Preparation Services
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Fulton, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

Most business experts recommend that you look into purchasing a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Juiceblendz Int'l. Inc. and Pigtails & Crewcuts. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Care Franchises and Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises.

Note on Fulton Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Fulton, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Fulton Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Fulton.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Fulton, it's very important that you make sure no other Illinois company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Fulton, Illinois

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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 Illinois, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Illinois. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

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 attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Fulton, Illinois, our information on Incorporating in Illinois may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Illinois.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Fulton 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.

Closing Sales Techniques is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Next Steps

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Fulton 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.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Fulton, Illinois

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

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