Thinking about starting a business in Ironton, Ohio? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Ironton.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ironton. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Ironton, Ohio Demographic Information
Ironton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ironton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ironton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2136 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1284 |
| 10-19 Employees |
612 |
| 20-49 Employees |
456 |
| 50-99 Employees |
96 |
| 100-249 Employees |
48 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Ironton Businesses |
4644 |
As a new Ironton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ironton 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
5 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
11 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
8 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
9 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
6 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
3 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
10 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
4 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
2 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
6 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
15 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ironton Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Ironton.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
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.
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 Ironton, it's critical that you ensure that no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To rise above the crowd in Ironton and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising in the Yellow Pages is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Ironton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Ironton and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ironton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ironton, Ohio
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ironton.
- Resources for Ironton, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ironton entrepreneurs.
- Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
- Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.
- Ironton, Ohio Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Ironton, Ohio newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Ironton area.
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