Thinking about starting a business in Gallatin, Tennessee? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Gallatin.
Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?
An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Gallatin. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. 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.
Gallatin, Tennessee Demographic Information
Gallatin has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Gallatin demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Gallatin.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
4410 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1620 |
| 10-19 Employees |
972 |
| 20-49 Employees |
720 |
| 50-99 Employees |
234 |
| 100-249 Employees |
144 |
| 250-499 Employees |
90 |
| 500-999 Employees |
18 |
| 1000+ Employees |
9 |
| All Gallatin Businesses |
8217 |
As a new Gallatin entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gallatin 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 |
|
Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
13 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
|
Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
6 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
12 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
5 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
|
Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
|
Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
|
Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
|
Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
|
Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
24 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
9 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
|
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
17 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
|
Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
16 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
27 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marinas |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
2 |
| Monetary Authorities-Central Bank |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
|
Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
3 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
12 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
21 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
|
Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
|
Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply |
1 |
| Steel Investment Foundries |
1 |
| Steel Wire Drawing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
9 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
|
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stemming and Redrying |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
|
Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
Visit the business district of Gallatin and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Protecting Your Franchise Territory. 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 Sparkling Image and Enviro Masters Lawn Care. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Repair Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.
Note on Gallatin Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Gallatin, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Gallatin business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Gallatin entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Tennessee Angel Investors and our List of Tennessee Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Gallatin business, you need to focus on sales.
Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Why Salespeople Fail 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
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Gallatin, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Tennessee educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Gallatin entrepreneurs.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Gallatin, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Gallatin 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 Gallatin, Tennessee
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Gallatin.
- Resources for Gallatin, Tennessee Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Gallatin 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!
- Gallatin, Tennessee Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Gallatin, Tennessee newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Gallatin area.
- Gallatin, Tennessee Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Gallatin, Tennessee area radio stations.
- Gallatin, Tennessee Payroll Services - This list includes Gallatin, Tennessee payroll services, national payroll services for Gallatin, and helpful information on choosing a Gallatin payroll service.
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