Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Gallatin, Tennessee

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

Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?

An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Gallatin. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • 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. 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.

Gallatin, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4410
5-9 Employees
1620
10-19 Employees
972
20-49 Employees
720
50-99 Employees
234
100-249 Employees
144
250-499 Employees
90
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
9
All Gallatin Businesses
8217

As a new Gallatin entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gallatin 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Beauty Salons
13
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Boat Building
1
Book Stores
1
Business Associations
3
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Child Day Care Services
12
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
4
Convenience Stores
5
Credit Unions
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
5
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
3
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
2
Florists
3
Food Service Contractors
3
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
24
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
5
General Automotive Repair
9
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
4
General Warehousing and Storage
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
17
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
16
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Logging
2
Machine Shops
4
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
9
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Dentists
12
Offices of Lawyers
21
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Rental
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
1
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
2
Residential Remodelers
5
Retail Bakeries
1
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply
1
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Temporary Help Services
9
Temporary Shelters
2
Tire Dealers
8
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stemming and Redrying
1
Tobacco Stores
2
Used Car Dealers
9
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Visit the business district of Gallatin and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Protecting Your Franchise Territory. 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 Sparkling Image and Enviro Masters Lawn Care. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Repair Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.

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

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Gallatin business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Gallatin entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Tennessee Angel Investors and our List of Tennessee Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Gallatin business, you need to focus on sales.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Why Salespeople Fail 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

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Gallatin, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Tennessee educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Gallatin entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Gallatin, 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Gallatin and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Gallatin, Tennessee

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Tennessee

Starting a Business in Gainesboro
Starting a Business in Germantown

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

Contributors

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