Thinking about starting a business in Gary, Indiana? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Gary.
Gary, Indiana Demographic Information
Gary has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Gary demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Gary.
| Business Size | # of Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
7160 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2984 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1980 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1248 |
| 50-99 Employees |
564 |
| 100-249 Employees |
252 |
| 250-499 Employees |
144 |
| 500-999 Employees |
72 |
| 1000+ Employees |
24 |
| All Gary Businesses |
14428 |
As a new Gary entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gary 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 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
5 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
8 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
2 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
16 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Casino Hotels |
2 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
34 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
5 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
11 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
13 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
8 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
17 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
10 |
| Electrical Contractors |
6 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
9 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
8 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
8 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
23 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
18 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
2 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
8 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
2 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
3 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
14 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Lime Manufacturing |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
49 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
8 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Dentists |
7 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
15 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
6 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
4 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
9 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Temporary Shelters |
4 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
5 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
1 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
6 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Gary Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Indiana. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Gary.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Selecting a Name For Your Startup
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Gary, it's critical that you ensure that no other Indiana company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Gary, Indiana
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Indiana, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Indiana. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Corporate Formalities. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Gary, Indiana, our information on Incorporating in Indiana may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Indiana.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Gary business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Gary entrepreneurs who need startup capital, browse our List of Indiana Angel Investors and our List of Indiana Venture Capital Firms.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Gary, Indiana, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Indiana universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any Gary networking organizations.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Gary, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Gary 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 Gary, Indiana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Gary.
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