Illinois Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Homewood, Illinois

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

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 Deer Processing Business guide or our Opening an Information Technology Services Business guide.

Remember that Homewood is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Homewood than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Homewood demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Homewood, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3348
5-9 Employees
1143
10-19 Employees
864
20-49 Employees
540
50-99 Employees
153
100-249 Employees
126
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
0
All Homewood Businesses
6210

As a new Homewood entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Homewood 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
Advertising Agencies
1
Architectural Services
3
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
10
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Book Publishers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
9
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Claims Adjusting
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
8
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Educational Support Services
3
Electrical Contractors
5
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Floor Covering Stores
1
Florists
2
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
17
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
General Automotive Repair
3
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
2
Ice Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
15
Investigation Services
1
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry Stores
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
19
Locksmiths
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
2
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
12
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
22
Offices of Lawyers
26
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Optical Goods Stores
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Portfolio Management
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Real Estate Credit
5
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
9
Retail Bakeries
1
Savings Institutions
5
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
4
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
6
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
7
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire Dealers
3
Travel Agencies
4
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Should You Franchise?

Examine a list of Homewood businesses and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Most business experts recommend that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include National Sports Grill and Dippin' Dots Franchising, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bookstore Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.

Note on Homewood Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Homewood.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Homewood business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled SBIR Funding.

For Homewood entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

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

How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Homewood, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Illinois educational institutions. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Homewood entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Homewood. 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Homewood 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 Homewood, Illinois

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Illinois

Starting a Business in Hoffman Estates
Starting a Business in Hoopeston

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