Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Dayton, Tennessee

Need help starting a business in Dayton, Tennessee? We've got the information you need to open a business in Dayton.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

Most new businesses do not succeed, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, 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:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Dayton. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Dayton, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9826
5-9 Employees
4284
10-19 Employees
1938
20-49 Employees
1836
50-99 Employees
357
100-249 Employees
153
250-499 Employees
357
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
51
All Dayton Businesses
18802

As a new Dayton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dayton 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
Ambulance Services
2
Beauty Salons
3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Book Publishers
1
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Cellulosic Organic Fiber Manufacturing
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
5
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
9
Convenience Stores
1
Credit Unions
1
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying
1
Electrical Contractors
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Florists
3
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
17
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
3
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
19
Marinas
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Lawyers
8
Offices of Optometrists
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Real Estate Credit
2
Residential Remodelers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Sales Financing
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheer Hosiery Mills
1
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Help Services
2
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Dayton, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. 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 Buck's Pizza Franchising Corporation and Family Financial Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Embroidery Franchises and Meal Preparation Franchises.

Note on Dayton Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Dayton.

Marketing Your New Business

To grow your Dayton business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Introduction to Advertising discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Building Up Your Sales

Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Dayton business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling Products on eBay offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Dayton, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Tennessee universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking organizations for Dayton entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Dayton, Tennessee

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

More Startup Articles for Tennessee Cities

Starting a Business in Crossville
Starting a Business in Decaturville

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

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