Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Jackson, Tennessee

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

What Business 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 Evaluating Your Idea.

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 Starting a Fundraising Merchandise & Supplies Retail Business guide or our Opening a Prefabricated Steps Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Jackson. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Jackson. Don't forget to review Jackson demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Jackson, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
51296
5-9 Employees
27072
10-19 Employees
18912
20-49 Employees
12576
50-99 Employees
5376
100-249 Employees
3120
250-499 Employees
816
500-999 Employees
336
1000+ Employees
96
All Jackson Businesses
119600

As a new Jackson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jackson 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
3
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
2
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
2
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
4
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
16
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
22
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
8
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
6
Cafeterias
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child Day Care Services
35
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
12
Claims Adjusting
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
8
Community Food Services
3
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Consumer Lending
15
Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding
1
Couriers
5
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
11
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
3
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
22
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
9
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
14
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
7
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
8
Floor Covering Stores
7
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
7
Flour Milling
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
6
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
8
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
24
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
14
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
6
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
8
Homes for the Elderly
6
Household Appliance Stores
10
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Sand Mining
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
47
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
6
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
15
Jewelry Stores
9
Kidney Dialysis Centers
4
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
19
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
78
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Logging
3
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Metal Stamping
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
5
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
9
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
19
Offices of Chiropractors
14
Offices of Dentists
44
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Optical Goods Stores
4
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
5
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
8
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
19
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
4
Professional Employer Organizations
5
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
5
Radio Stations
1
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
19
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Residential Property Managers
6
Residential Remodelers
10
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
7
Sawmills
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
10
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
18
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
12
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
27
Temporary Shelters
3
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
11
Tire Retreading
2
Tobacco Stores
6
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
15
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
21
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Software. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Tennessee.

Startup Financing Basics

Obtaining startup financing for your Jackson business is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Attracting Investors.

For Jackson entrepreneurs who need startup capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Tennessee Angel Investors and our List of Tennessee Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in Jackson and build your business, you need a great marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Marketing Versus Sales is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Jackson, Tennessee, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Tennessee universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Jackson networking organizations.

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Jackson, 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Jackson 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 Jackson, Tennessee

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

More Business Startup Guides for Tennessee

Starting a Business in Huntingdon
Starting a Business in Jamestown

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary