Illinois Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Harrisburg, Illinois

Contemplating starting a business in Harrisburg, Illinois? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Harrisburg.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Harrisburg. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

What Business to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good 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 Laboratory Equipment Service & Repair Business guide or our Opening a Rustic Furniture Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Harrisburg has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Harrisburg. Study Harrisburg demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Harrisburg, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5679
5-9 Employees
2754
10-19 Employees
1377
20-49 Employees
702
50-99 Employees
189
100-249 Employees
108
250-499 Employees
54
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Harrisburg Businesses
10863

As a new Harrisburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Harrisburg 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
Architectural Services
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining
1
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
2
Car Washes
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
5
Convenience Stores
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Unions
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
2
Engineering Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
7
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Glove and Mitten Manufacturing
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Hardware Stores
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Household Appliance Stores
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
12
Jewelry Stores
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
17
Masonry Contractors
3
Medical Laboratories
1
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
4
Offices of Lawyers
13
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Payroll Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
3
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Web Search Portals
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Naming the Business

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.

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 planning on starting a business in Harrisburg, it's critical that you ensure that no other Illinois company is using the business name you want to use.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Harrisburg business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Incubators.

For Harrisburg entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, you'll want to take a look at our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Harrisburg, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any Harrisburg networking organizations.

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Harrisburg, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

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 Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg, Illinois

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

More Business Startup Guides for Illinois

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