Contemplating starting a business in Huntington, Indiana? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Huntington.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Huntington. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Huntington, Indiana Demographic Information
Huntington has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Huntington demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Huntington.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
8560 |
| 5-9 Employees |
3480 |
| 10-19 Employees |
2472 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1248 |
| 50-99 Employees |
600 |
| 100-249 Employees |
384 |
| 250-499 Employees |
192 |
| 500-999 Employees |
48 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Huntington Businesses |
16984 |
As a new Huntington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Huntington 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 |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
7 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
9 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
8 |
| Electronic Resistor Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
21 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
8 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
16 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motor Home Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
7 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
9 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Passenger Car Leasing |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
6 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
9 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
4 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
8 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
4 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Huntington, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including How to Get More Franchisees. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include Little Scientist Franchise Corp. and Buttercup Bake Shop. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Telecommunications Franchises and IT Training Franchises.
Note on Huntington Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Huntington, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Is Buying an Existing Huntington Business a Good Strategy?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Indiana. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Huntington.
If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Selecting a Name For Your Venture
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 need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Huntington, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Indiana business.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Raising money to fund your new Huntington business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Huntington entrepreneurs who need startup capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Indiana Angel Investors and our List of Indiana Venture Capital Firms.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Successful business owners know that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Huntington, Indiana, you should investigate some of the learning programs at local Indiana educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Huntington entrepreneurs.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Huntington. 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Huntington and throughout the United States . 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 Huntington, Indiana
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Huntington.
More Business Startup Guides for Indiana
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Business Startup Guides for Indiana
