Need help starting a business in Downers Grove, Illinois? We've got the information you need to open a business in Downers Grove.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Downers Grove. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- Take a look at Starting a Company. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. 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 Fire Protection Equipment & Supplies Household Business guide or our Opening a Rhinology Physicians & Surgeons Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Downers Grove has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Downers Grove. Study Downers Grove demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Downers Grove, Illinois Demographic Information
Downers Grove has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Downers Grove demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Downers Grove.
Business Size | # of Businesses |
1-4 Employees |
4629 |
5-9 Employees |
1137 |
10-19 Employees |
867 |
20-49 Employees |
714 |
50-99 Employees |
267 |
100-249 Employees |
159 |
250-499 Employees |
51 |
500-999 Employees |
21 |
1000+ Employees |
9 |
All Downers Grove Businesses |
7854 |
As a new Downers Grove entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Downers Grove 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
|
7 |
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
|
6 |
Architectural Services
|
8 |
Art Dealers
|
1 |
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
|
11 |
Automotive Transmission Repair
|
2 |
Baked Goods Stores
|
3 |
Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing
|
1 |
Beauty Salons
|
22 |
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
|
1 |
Book Stores
|
5 |
Bowling Centers
|
1 |
Building Inspection Services
|
3 |
Business Associations
|
8 |
Cable and Other Program Distribution
|
1 |
Cafeterias
|
1 |
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
|
1 |
Car Washes
|
2 |
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
|
2 |
Caterers
|
3 |
Child and Youth Services
|
1 |
Child Day Care Services
|
15 |
Civic and Social Organizations
|
4 |
Clothing Accessories Stores
|
2 |
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
|
6 |
Collection Agencies
|
1 |
Commercial Bakeries
|
1 |
Commercial Flexographic Printing
|
1 |
Commercial Gravure Printing
|
1 |
Commercial Lithographic Printing
|
10 |
Commercial Screen Printing
|
1 |
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
|
3 |
Commodity Contracts Dealing
|
1 |
Community Food Services
|
4 |
Computer and Software Stores
|
5 |
Computer Facilities Management Services
|
1 |
Computer Systems Design Services
|
38 |
Computer Training
|
1 |
Confectionery and Nut Stores
|
4 |
Consumer Lending
|
4 |
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
|
1 |
Convenience Stores
|
7 |
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
|
4 |
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
|
1 |
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
|
2 |
Couriers
|
3 |
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
|
3 |
Credit Unions
|
2 |
Curtain and Drapery Mills
|
2 |
Custom Computer Programming Services
|
36 |
Dental Laboratories
|
3 |
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
|
1 |
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
|
2 |
Digital Printing
|
2 |
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
|
10 |
Direct Mail Advertising
|
2 |
Discount Department Stores
|
1 |
Display Advertising
|
2 |
Document Preparation Services
|
6 |
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
|
2 |
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
|
4 |
Educational Support Services
|
2 |
Electrical Contractors
|
23 |
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
|
1 |
Electronic Shopping
|
3 |
Elementary and Secondary Schools
|
5 |
Employment Placement Agencies
|
7 |
Engineering Services
|
30 |
Environmental Consulting Services
|
7 |
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
|
2 |
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
|
2 |
Facilities Support Services
|
2 |
Family Clothing Stores
|
3 |
Family Planning Centers
|
1 |
Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing
|
1 |
Fine Arts Schools
|
7 |
Finish Carpentry Contractors
|
14 |
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
|
14 |
Floor Covering Stores
|
7 |
Flooring Contractors
|
8 |
Florists
|
4 |
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
|
2 |
Food Service Contractors
|
17 |
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
|
1 |
Framing Contractors
|
10 |
Freight Transportation Arrangement
|
10 |
Full-Service Restaurants
|
45 |
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
|
4 |
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
Furniture Stores
|
13 |
General Automotive Repair
|
22 |
General Freight Trucking, Local
|
10 |
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
|
1 |
General Warehousing and Storage
|
4 |
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
|
13 |
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
|
1 |
Graphic Design Services
|
12 |
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
Hardware Stores
|
3 |
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
|
1 |
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
|
6 |
Home Centers
|
3 |
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
Home Health Care Services
|
11 |
Home Health Equipment Rental
|
2 |
Homes for the Elderly
|
1 |
Household Appliance Stores
|
3 |
Human Rights Organizations
|
1 |
Industrial Building Construction
|
4 |
Industrial Design Services
|
1 |
Industrial Launderers
|
299 |
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
|
50 |
Interior Design Services
|
4 |
Investigation Services
|
1 |
Investment Advice
|
8 |
Janitorial Services
|
20 |
Jewelry Stores
|
4 |
Kidney Dialysis Centers
|
1 |
Land Subdivision
|
1 |
Landscape Architectural Services
|
5 |
Landscaping Services
|
25 |
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
|
1 |
Libraries and Archives
|
3 |
Limited-Service Restaurants
|
59 |
Limousine Service
|
1 |
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
|
3 |
Machine Shops
|
1 |
Mail-Order Houses
|
3 |
Manifold Business Forms Printing
|
1 |
Marketing Consulting Services
|
14 |
Masonry Contractors
|
5 |
Meat Markets
|
2 |
Medical Laboratories
|
1 |
Men's Clothing Stores
|
3 |
Metal Stamping
|
1 |
Miscellaneous Intermediation
|
2 |
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
|
16 |
Motion Picture and Video Production
|
3 |
Motor Vehicle Towing
|
1 |
Motorcycle Dealers
|
1 |
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
|
7 |
Nail Salons
|
3 |
New Car Dealers
|
11 |
New Housing Operative Builders
|
3 |
News Dealers and Newsstands
|
1 |
Newspaper Publishers
|
1 |
Nonresidential Property Managers
|
4 |
Nursing Care Facilities
|
2 |
Office Administrative Services
|
18 |
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
|
5 |
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
|
7 |
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
|
1 |
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
|
26 |
Offices of Chiropractors
|
9 |
Offices of Dentists
|
39 |
Offices of Lawyers
|
40 |
Offices of Optometrists
|
9 |
Offices of Other Holding Companies
|
1 |
Offices of Podiatrists
|
5 |
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
|
6 |
Optical Goods Stores
|
4 |
Packaging and Labeling Services
|
2 |
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
|
1 |
Packing and Crating
|
2 |
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
|
2 |
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
18 |
Passenger Car Rental
|
2 |
Payroll Services
|
1 |
Periodical Publishers
|
4 |
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
|
5 |
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
|
5 |
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
|
8 |
Photography Studios, Portrait
|
6 |
Portfolio Management
|
3 |
Prepress Services
|
3 |
Private Mail Centers
|
2 |
Professional Employer Organizations
|
1 |
Public Relations Agencies
|
3 |
Quick Printing
|
5 |
Real Estate Credit
|
17 |
Real Estate Investment Trusts
|
1 |
Remediation Services
|
1 |
Residential Property Managers
|
6 |
Residential Remodelers
|
45 |
Retail Bakeries
|
1 |
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
|
2 |
Roofing Contractors
|
5 |
Sales Financing
|
6 |
Savings Institutions
|
9 |
School and Employee Bus Transportation
|
1 |
Secondary Market Financing
|
1 |
Securities Brokerage
|
10 |
Security Guards and Patrol Services
|
5 |
Sewage Treatment Facilities
|
1 |
Shoe Stores
|
4 |
Sign Manufacturing
|
3 |
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
|
12 |
Software Publishers
|
11 |
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
|
1 |
Sporting Goods Stores
|
8 |
Sports and Recreation Instruction
|
1 |
Tax Preparation Services
|
7 |
Taxi Service
|
1 |
Telecommunications Resellers
|
1 |
Telemarketing Bureaus
|
2 |
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
|
1 |
Temporary Help Services
|
18 |
Testing Laboratories
|
6 |
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
|
2 |
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
|
1 |
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
Tire Dealers
|
2 |
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
|
1 |
Tobacco Stores
|
4 |
Tour Operators
|
2 |
Tradebinding and Related Work
|
1 |
Translation and Interpretation Services
|
1 |
Travel Agencies
|
6 |
Used Car Dealers
|
4 |
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
|
5 |
Used Merchandise Stores
|
1 |
Veterinary Services
|
7 |
Video Tape and Disc Rental
|
3 |
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
|
1 |
Voluntary Health Organizations
|
2 |
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
|
22 |
Window Treatment Stores
|
1 |
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
|
8 |
Women's Clothing Stores
|
6 |
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
|
1 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
Visit the business district of Downers Grove and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Costs of Franchise Ownership. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Burger King Corporation and Executive Tans. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tanning Franchises and Marketing, Sales and Advertising Franchises.
Note on Downers Grove Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Downers Grove.
Promoting Your New Venture
To grow your Downers Grove business, you need a great marketing plan.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Exhibiting at Tradeshows is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Downers Grove business, you need to focus on sales.
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.
The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good business owners know that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking organizations for Downers Grove entrepreneurs.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Downers Grove, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Downers Grove businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Downers Grove, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Downers Grove, Illinois
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Downers Grove.