Start a Business in Sheridan, Oregon

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

An entrepreneurial life is difficult, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you certain you are ready to take on this challenge?

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Sheridan. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
• You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Kosher Meat Market guide or our Starting a Fax Equipment & Supplies Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Sheridan has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Sheridan than others. Study Sheridan demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Sheridan, Oregon Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	2133
5-9 Employees	621
10-19 Employees	324
20-49 Employees	108
50-99 Employees	27
100-249 Employees	27
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Sheridan Businesses	3240

As a new Sheridan entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Sheridan 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
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	2
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	1
Book Stores	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Convenience Stores	2
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Educational Support Services	1
Electrical Contractors	1
Elementary and Secondary Schools	3
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Florists	1
Framing Contractors	1
Full-Service Restaurants	3
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	2
General Automotive Repair	1
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers	1
Hardware Stores	1
Homes for the Elderly	3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	1
Landscaping Services	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	4
Logging	1
Machine Shops	1
Mail-Order Houses	1
Materials Recovery Facilities	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Chiropractors	1
Offices of Dentists	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	1
Remediation Services	1
Residential Remodelers	2
Savings Institutions	1
Sawmills	1
School and Employee Bus Transportation	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Software Publishers	1
Support Activities for Forestry	1
Tax Preparation Services	2
Timber Tract Operations	2
Used Car Dealers	2
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1
Wood Preservation	2

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Sheridan Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Oregon. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Sheridan.

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

Choosing a Company Name

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.

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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Sheridan, it's critical that you ensure that no Oregon company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Free Business Plan Templates. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Oregon.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Sheridan, 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 Sheridan and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Sheridan 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 Sheridan, Oregon

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

• Resources for Sheridan, Oregon Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Sheridan entrepreneurs.
• Oregon Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oregon.
• Oregon Small Business Development Center - Oregon Small Business Development Centers use a client-centered approach to deliver counseling, training, information and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management. There is no fee for their assistance.
• Sheridan, Oregon Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Sheridan, Oregon newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Sheridan area.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Oregon
Starting a Business in Seaside
Starting a Business in Silverton

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Oregon
Starting a Business Guides for Other States