Illinois Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Gurnee, Illinois

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Gurnee. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • 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. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Gurnee, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1979
5-9 Employees
816
10-19 Employees
531
20-49 Employees
411
50-99 Employees
183
100-249 Employees
96
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
0
All Gurnee Businesses
4031

As a new Gurnee entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gurnee 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
Abrasive Product Manufacturing
1
Advertising Agencies
1
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Architectural Services
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
3
Beauty Salons
20
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
12
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
10
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
13
Computer Training
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
3
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
6
Custom Computer Programming Services
13
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
4
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
11
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Family Clothing Stores
24
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
4
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Full-Service Restaurants
38
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
9
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
6
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
21
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
3
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Jewelry Stores
14
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
13
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
49
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Marketing Consulting Services
7
Masonry Contractors
7
Media Representatives
2
Men's Clothing Stores
6
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
5
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
38
Offices of Lawyers
14
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
6
Packaging and Labeling Services
5
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
2
Real Estate Credit
8
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
16
Roofing Contractors
3
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
6
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
2
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
2
Software Reproducing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Sugarcane Mills
1
Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Help Services
10
Tire Dealers
5
Tobacco Stores
2
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
9
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Gurnee, it's very important that you make sure no other Illinois company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

Having a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, 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.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Gurnee business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Business Cash Advances.

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

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Gurnee or are selling to customers throughout Illinois, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

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 Gurnee. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Gurnee 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 Gurnee, Illinois

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

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