Thinking about starting a business in Idaho Falls, Idaho? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Idaho Falls.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Good Business Ideas.
Remember that starting a business in Idaho Falls has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Idaho Falls than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Idaho Falls demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Idaho Falls has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Idaho Falls demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Idaho Falls.
As a new Idaho Falls entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Idaho Falls 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 |
3 |
| Air Traffic Control |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
6 |
| Armored Car Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automatic Vending Machine Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
8 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
18 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
6 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
11 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Boat Dealers |
4 |
| Book Stores |
6 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
7 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
9 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
29 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
9 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
6 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
7 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
2 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
11 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
9 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
16 |
| Dental Laboratories |
8 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
15 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
22 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
41 |
| Electronic Shopping |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
43 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
6 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
11 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
19 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
8 |
| Flooring Contractors |
9 |
| Florists |
9 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
6 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
10 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
67 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
14 |
| General Automotive Repair |
34 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Glove and Mitten Manufacturing |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
4 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
6 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
13 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
8 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
7 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
2 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
62 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
18 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
15 |
| Jewelry Stores |
12 |
| Land Subdivision |
8 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
4 |
| Landscaping Services |
27 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
64 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Malt Manufacturing |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
16 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
3 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
4 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
4 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
11 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
5 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
10 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
39 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
22 |
| Offices of Dentists |
59 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
70 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
12 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
6 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
11 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
6 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
15 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
4 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
5 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
10 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
8 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Prepress Services |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
3 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
4 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
9 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
5 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
7 |
| Residential Remodelers |
12 |
| Retail Bakeries |
6 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
8 |
| Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
5 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
20 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
12 |
| Siding Contractors |
13 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
6 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
16 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
16 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
2 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
3 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
20 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Steel Foundries (except Investment) |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
8 |
| Taxi Service |
5 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
10 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
9 |
| Tire Dealers |
11 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
24 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
5 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
11 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
7 |
| Veterinary Services |
9 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wet Corn Milling |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
9 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
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.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Idaho Falls, it's imperative that you check now that no other Idaho company is using the business name you want to use.
Getting your Idaho Falls business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Credit Evaluation.
Whether your goal is to attract Idaho Falls customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. E-Mail Marketing discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Most new Idaho Falls businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
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 Idaho Falls 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.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Idaho Falls.
