Contemplating starting a business in Grants Pass, Oregon? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Grants Pass.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
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:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Grants Pass. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Floor Polishing, Waxing, & Cleaning Materials Business guide or our How to Start a Portrait & Commercial Photography Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Grants Pass. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Grants Pass. Make sure you fully understand Grants Pass demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Grants Pass, Oregon Demographic Information
Grants Pass has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Grants Pass demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Grants Pass.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
3005 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1158 |
| 10-19 Employees |
774 |
| 20-49 Employees |
393 |
| 50-99 Employees |
111 |
| 100-249 Employees |
54 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Grants Pass Businesses |
5513 |
As a new Grants Pass entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Grants Pass 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 |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
4 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
14 |
|
Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
7 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Building |
2 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Business Associations |
6 |
|
Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
4 |
| Caterers |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
6 |
|
Civic and Social Organizations |
9 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
4 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
4 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
2 |
|
Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
10 |
| Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
|
Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
|
Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
11 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
20 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
4 |
| Electrical Contractors |
19 |
| Electronic Auctions |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools |
9 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
7 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
14 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
10 |
|
Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
9 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
8 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
46 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
21 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
|
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
9 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
7 |
| Gold Ore Mining |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
|
Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
17 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
|
Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
26 |
| Interior Design Services |
2 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
2 |
|
Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
11 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
19 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
7 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
41 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
10 |
| Machine Shops |
10 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
3 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
7 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
12 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
6 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
6 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
|
Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
17 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
16 |
| Offices of Dentists |
37 |
|
Offices of Lawyers |
31 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
8 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
|
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
25 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
|
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
|
Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
5 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
19 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors |
14 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
|
Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
22 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
|
Sporting Goods Stores |
8 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
7 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
|
Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
4 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tobacco Stores |
3 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
|
Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
8 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
12 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
4 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Grants Pass Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Oregon. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Grants Pass.
If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Picking a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Grants Pass, it's very important that you make sure no Oregon company has already registered the company name you have selected.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Having a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Oregon.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
The best business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Grants Pass, Oregon, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Oregon universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking organizations for Grants Pass entrepreneurs.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Grants Pass. 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Grants Pass and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Grants Pass, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Grants Pass, Oregon
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Grants Pass.
- Resources for Grants Pass, Oregon Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Grants Pass entrepreneurs.
- Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oregon.
- Oregon Small Business Development Center - Oregon Small Business Development Centers use a client-centered approach to deliver counseling, training, information and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management. There is no fee for their assistance.
- Grants Pass, Oregon Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Grants Pass, Oregon newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Grants Pass area.
- Grants Pass, Oregon Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Grants Pass, Oregon area radio stations.
- Grants Pass, Oregon Payroll Services - This list includes Grants Pass, Oregon payroll services, national payroll services for Grants Pass, and helpful information on choosing a Grants Pass payroll service.
- Grants Pass, Oregon Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Grants Pass, Oregon, such as business brokers in Grants Pass and other helpful information on how to buy a Grants Pass business.
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