Washington Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Chehalis, Washington

Thinking about starting a business in Chehalis, Washington? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Chehalis.

Chehalis, Washington Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1110
5-9 Employees
483
10-19 Employees
285
20-49 Employees
150
50-99 Employees
63
100-249 Employees
30
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
0
All Chehalis Businesses
2127

As a new Chehalis entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Chehalis 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
4
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
2
Business Associations
3
Cafeterias
1
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
1
Caterers
1
Cheese Manufacturing
2
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Clay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Collection Agencies
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Credit Unions
2
Dental Laboratories
3
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
1
Electrical Contractors
8
Engineering Services
4
Family Clothing Stores
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
3
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
18
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
13
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
3
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
6
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
12
Logging
11
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
11
Offices of Lawyers
16
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Portfolio Management
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Racetracks
2
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
6
Roofing Contractors
2
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
4
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
4
Sign Manufacturing
2
Silverware and Hollowware Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Small Arms Manufacturing
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Support Activities for Forestry
11
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Shelters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Preservation
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Chehalis, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Seekers Coffee House & Cafe and HomeTown Threads. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Framing Store Franchises and Juice Bar Franchises / Smoothie Franchises.

Note on Chehalis Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Chehalis, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Choosing a Company Name

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Chehalis, it's very important that you make sure no other Washington company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Chehalis, Washington

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield 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. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Washington, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Washington. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Chehalis, Washington, our information on Incorporating in Washington may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Washington.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Presentations. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Washington.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good business owners know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Chehalis, Washington, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Washington universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Chehalis networking organizations.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Chehalis. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Chehalis, Washington

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Washington

Starting a Business in Centralia
Starting a Business in Chelan

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

 

 

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