Contemplating starting a business in Johnstown, Pennsylvania? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Johnstown.
What Business Are You Starting?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Evaluating Your Idea.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Aeronautical Supplies Business guide or our How to Start a Washing Machine & Dryer Parts & Supplies Dealership guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Johnstown. Some businesses will do better in Johnstown than others. A critical consideration is whether Johnstown demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Demographic Information
Johnstown has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Johnstown demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Johnstown.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
17286 |
| 5-9 Employees |
9066 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5166 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3582 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1188 |
| 100-249 Employees |
720 |
| 250-499 Employees |
180 |
| 500-999 Employees |
90 |
| 1000+ Employees |
36 |
| All Johnstown Businesses |
37314 |
As a new Johnstown entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Johnstown 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 |
2 |
| Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
8 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
4 |
| Beauty Salons |
43 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
15 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
3 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
38 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
33 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
4 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
5 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
5 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
13 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
6 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
8 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
26 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
10 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
12 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
10 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
8 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
10 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
49 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
9 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
26 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
6 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
5 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
6 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
8 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
39 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
5 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
14 |
| Jewelry Stores |
12 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
15 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
67 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| 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 |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Natural Gas Liquid Extraction |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
13 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
7 |
| Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
18 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
35 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
37 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
6 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
17 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
6 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
24 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
11 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
9 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
9 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
10 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Steel Foundries (except Investment) |
2 |
| Support Activities for Coal Mining |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
6 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
4 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
8 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
5 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
9 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
12 |
Selecting a Name For Your 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.
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.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Johnstown, it's imperative that you check now that no other Pennsylvania company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
It's essential that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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. Just because you are starting a business in Pennsylvania, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Pennsylvania. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Corporate Formalities. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, our information on Incorporating in Pennsylvania may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Pennsylvania.
The Role of the Business Plan
Having a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Pennsylvania.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Johnstown 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.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Johnstown entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Pennsylvania Angel Investors and our List of Pennsylvania Venture Capital Firms.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Pennsylvania universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Johnstown entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Never Give Up
Most new Johnstown businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Johnstown businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Johnstown entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Johnstown.
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