Start a Business in Jefferson, Ohio

Contemplating starting a business in Jefferson, Ohio? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Jefferson.

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Most new ventures don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Jefferson. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
• You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Jefferson, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	5265
5-9 Employees	2070
10-19 Employees	945
20-49 Employees	585
50-99 Employees	135
100-249 Employees	270
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Jefferson Businesses	9270

As a new Jefferson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jefferson 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	1
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing	1
Cafeterias	1
Cemeteries and Crematories	1
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	1
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	2
Commercial Lithographic Printing	1
Convenience Stores	1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers	1
Drafting Services	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Electrical Contractors	2
Electronic Shopping	1
Engineering Services	2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	1
Floor Covering Stores	1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Full-Service Restaurants	3
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
General Automotive Repair	5
General Freight Trucking, Local	2
Glass and Glazing Contractors	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Household Appliance Stores	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	7
Iron and Steel Forging	1
Janitorial Services	2
Jewelry Stores	1
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Landscaping Services	3
Limited-Service Restaurants	6
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing	1
New Car Dealers	2
News Dealers and Newsstands	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Office Administrative Services	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Dentists	3
Offices of Lawyers	7
Offices of Optometrists	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Packaging and Labeling Services	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Photography Studios, Portrait	1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing	1
Real Estate Credit	1
Remediation Services	1
Residential Remodelers	2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Roofing Contractors	3
Siding Contractors	1
Site Preparation Contractors	1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	1
Solid Waste Landfill	1
Sports and Recreation Instruction	2
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	3
Used Car Dealers	3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Veterinary Services	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Jefferson, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Multi-Unit Franchising. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include Cartridge World and Desert Sun Tanning. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Inspection Franchises and Print and Sign Franchises.

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

Is Buying an Existing Jefferson Business a Good Strategy?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Jefferson.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Jefferson, it's imperative that you check now that no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Jefferson, Ohio

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Where to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Jefferson, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Jefferson business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.

For Jefferson entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.

Never Give Up

Most new Jefferson businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Jefferson and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Jefferson, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Jefferson, Ohio

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

• Resources for Jefferson, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Jefferson 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.
• Jefferson, Ohio Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Jefferson, Ohio newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Jefferson area.

More Startup Articles for Ohio Cities
Starting a Business in Jackson
Starting a Business in Johnstown

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Ohio