Thinking about starting a business in Sheridan, Wyoming? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Sheridan.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Most startup businesses fail, in part because the founder did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you open a 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 Sheridan. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Sheridan, Wyoming 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 |
15534 |
| 5-9 Employees |
6210 |
| 10-19 Employees |
3528 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1782 |
| 50-99 Employees |
432 |
| 100-249 Employees |
162 |
| 250-499 Employees |
81 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Sheridan Businesses |
27729 |
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 |
| Advertising Agencies |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
6 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
5 |
| Child Day Care Services |
8 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
12 |
| Claims Adjusting |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Couriers |
6 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
9 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
8 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
9 |
| Electronic Auctions |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
18 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
4 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Farm Management Services |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
7 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
5 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Hunting and Trapping |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
18 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
13 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
5 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
19 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
6 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
2 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Natural Gas Liquid Extraction |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
6 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
5 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
16 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
22 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
8 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Roofing Contractors |
6 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Secondary Market Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
10 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Coal Mining |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Sheridan, it's imperative that you check now that no Wyoming 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. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Wyoming.
Bring in Revenues
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Sheridan business to do well.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Compensating Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
The best entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Sheridan, Wyoming, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Wyoming universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Sheridan networking organizations.
What's Next?
Most new Sheridan businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Sheridan and throughout the United States . We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Sheridan, Wyoming
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Sheridan.
- Resources for Sheridan, Wyoming Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Sheridan entrepreneurs.
- Wyoming Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wyoming.
- Wyoming Small Business Development Center - The Wyoming Small Business Development Center provides free and confidential consulting services to individual businesses, offers various products online of specific use to various businesses, sponsors affordable educational programs targeted at the small business community, and maintains links with various business resources throughout Wyoming and the nation.
- Sheridan, Wyoming Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Sheridan, Wyoming newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Sheridan area.
- Sheridan, Wyoming Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Sheridan, Wyoming area radio stations.
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