Opening a Business in Lebanon, Kentucky

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

Choosing the Right Company to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read Good Business Ideas.

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 Starting a Decorative Shells Business guide or our Opening a Shiatsu Business guide.

Don't forget that you are starting a business in Lebanon. Some businesses will do better in Lebanon than others. Don't forget to review Lebanon demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Lebanon, Kentucky Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	6342
5-9 Employees	3108
10-19 Employees	1554
20-49 Employees	798
50-99 Employees	336
100-249 Employees	462
250-499 Employees	84
500-999 Employees	84
1000+ Employees	0
All Lebanon Businesses	12768

As a new Lebanon entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lebanon 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
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	4
Automotive Transmission Repair	1
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	5
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Cemeteries and Crematories	1
Child Day Care Services	3
Commercial Screen Printing	1
Consumer Lending	1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing	1
Discount Department Stores	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electrical Contractors	3
Elementary and Secondary Schools	2
Employment Placement Agencies	1
Environmental Consulting Services	1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services	2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	3
Flooring Contractors	3
Florists	3
Framing Contractors	2
Full-Service Restaurants	8
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	1
General Automotive Repair	4
General Freight Trucking, Local	4
General Rental Centers	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Graphic Design Services	1
Hardware Stores	1
Home Health Care Services	1
Household Appliance Stores	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	9
Interior Design Services	2
Investment Advice	1
Iron and Steel Forging	1
Janitorial Services	1
Jewelry Stores	1
Landscaping Services	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	11
Machine Shops	4
Motor Vehicle Towing	1
New Car Dealers	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	2
Offices of Chiropractors	3
Offices of Dentists	4
Offices of Lawyers	8
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Plate Work Manufacturing	4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Real Estate Credit	1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Roofing Contractors	1
Securities Brokerage	1
Security Guards and Patrol Services	1
Shoe Stores	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	1
Spring (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	2
Temporary Shelters	1
Testing Laboratories	1
Tire Dealers	1
Used Car Dealers	1
Used Merchandise Stores	2
Vending Machine Operators	3
Veterinary Services	3
Video Tape and Disc Rental	2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	1
Women's Clothing Stores	2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing	3

Naming the 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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

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 planning on starting a business in Lebanon, it's imperative that you check now that no other Kentucky company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Kentucky.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Lebanon business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Angel Investors.

For Lebanon entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of Kentucky Angel Investors and our List of Kentucky Venture Capital Firms.

Ramping Up Sales

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Lebanon business to do well.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Lebanon and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Lebanon, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lebanon, Kentucky

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

• Resources for Lebanon, Kentucky Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lebanon entrepreneurs.
• Kentucky Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Kentucky.
• Kentucky Small Business Development Center - The Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) has been assisting Kentucky small business community for more than 25 years. KSBDC is co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is administered by the University of Kentucky in partnership with regional universities, community and private colleges, and the private sector.
• Lebanon, Kentucky Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lebanon, Kentucky newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lebanon area.
• Lebanon, Kentucky Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Lebanon, Kentucky area radio stations.
• Lebanon, Kentucky Payroll Services - This list includes Lebanon, Kentucky payroll services, national payroll services for Lebanon, and helpful information on choosing a Lebanon payroll service.

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