Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Knoxville, Tennessee

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Knoxville. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you 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 How to Start an Air Cleaning & Purifying Service guide or our Starting a Paternity Testing Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Knoxville. Some businesses will do better in Knoxville than others. Don't forget to review Knoxville demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Knoxville, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
74660
5-9 Employees
32780
10-19 Employees
24480
20-49 Employees
18345
50-99 Employees
6570
100-249 Employees
3585
250-499 Employees
750
500-999 Employees
300
1000+ Employees
165
All Knoxville Businesses
161635

As a new Knoxville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Knoxville 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
2
Advertising Agencies
34
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
7
Amusement Arcades
4
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
7
Architectural Services
53
Armored Car Services
3
Art Dealers
9
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
7
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
10
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
82
Baked Goods Stores
7
Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing
1
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
106
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
41
Blood and Organ Banks
4
Boat Building
3
Boat Dealers
6
Book Publishers
7
Book Stores
23
Bowling Centers
2
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
3
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
20
Business to Business Electronic Markets
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
4
Cafeterias
10
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
3
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
10
Caterers
16
Cement Manufacturing
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
7
Charter Bus Industry
4
Child and Youth Services
14
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
16
Civic and Social Organizations
41
Claims Adjusting
15
Clothing Accessories Stores
9
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
9
Commercial Flexographic Printing
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
34
Commercial Photography
6
Commercial Screen Printing
9
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
19
Computer Systems Design Services
50
Computer Training
5
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Consumer Lending
40
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
52
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
5
Couriers
8
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Bureaus
3
Credit Unions
48
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
2
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dance Companies
2
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
13
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
15
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
27
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
12
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
6
Discount Department Stores
13
Display Advertising
4
Document Preparation Services
6
Drafting Services
2
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
23
Educational Support Services
5
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
74
Electronic Shopping
10
Elementary and Secondary Schools
24
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Engineering Services
143
Environmental Consulting Services
25
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
23
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
49
Family Planning Centers
3
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
6
Fine Arts Schools
14
Finish Carpentry Contractors
18
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
45
Flight Training
2
Flooring Contractors
16
Florists
20
Flour Milling
1
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
19
Food Service Contractors
23
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
5
Framing Contractors
8
Freight Transportation Arrangement
16
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
4
Full-Service Restaurants
284
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
13
Furniture Stores
53
General Automotive Repair
77
General Freight Trucking, Local
14
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
10
General Rental Centers
8
General Warehousing and Storage
17
Glass and Glazing Contractors
7
Glove and Mitten Manufacturing
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
14
Grantmaking Foundations
19
Graphic Design Services
26
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
12
Hardware Stores
22
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
14
Home Centers
10
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
12
Home Health Care Services
29
Home Health Equipment Rental
7
Household Appliance Stores
20
Human Rights Organizations
8
Industrial Building Construction
3
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
5
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Interior Design Services
14
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
5
Internet Service Providers
6
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
3
Investigation Services
9
Investment Advice
24
Iron and Steel Mills
2
Janitorial Services
88
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
45
Junior Colleges
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
10
Land Subdivision
16
Landscape Architectural Services
10
Language Schools
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
11
Lime Manufacturing
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
309
Linen Supply
3
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
4
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
3
Machine Shops
28
Mail-Order Houses
17
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
8
Marinas
5
Masonry Contractors
12
Materials Recovery Facilities
2
Mattress Manufacturing
2
Meat Markets
4
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
4
Medical Laboratories
15
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
31
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
17
Motor Vehicle Towing
11
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
7
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
12
Nail Salons
6
New Car Dealers
37
New Housing Operative Builders
23
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
8
Nonresidential Property Managers
16
Nursing Care Facilities
15
Office Administrative Services
41
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
16
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
96
Offices of Chiropractors
37
Offices of Dentists
177
Offices of Lawyers
253
Offices of Optometrists
21
Offices of Other Holding Companies
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
28
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
3
Optical Goods Stores
19
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
6
Paging
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
28
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
55
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Passenger Car Rental
7
Payroll Services
8
Periodical Publishers
15
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
18
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
19
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
12
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
55
Photography Studios, Portrait
23
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Political Organizations
2
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Port and Harbor Operations
1
Portfolio Management
15
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
3
Private Mail Centers
6
Professional Organizations
13
Public Relations Agencies
7
Quick Printing
12
Radio Networks
2
Radio Stations
17
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
6
Real Estate Credit
70
Recreational Goods Rental
3
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
6
Reinsurance Carriers
2
Remediation Services
6
Repossession Services
2
Residential Property Managers
36
Residential Remodelers
60
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
15
Rooming and Boarding Houses
4
Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills
1
Sales Financing
14
Savings Institutions
19
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
43
Security Guards and Patrol Services
15
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
48
Siding Contractors
10
Sign Manufacturing
11
Site Preparation Contractors
54
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
8
Solid Waste Collection
3
Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators
1
Solid Waste Landfill
6
Sound Recording Studios
2
Sporting Goods Stores
38
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Support Activities for Coal Mining
2
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Tax Preparation Services
21
Taxi Service
3
Telecommunications Resellers
5
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Television Broadcasting
9
Temporary Help Services
54
Temporary Shelters
9
Testing Laboratories
15
Textile Bag Mills
1
Textile Machinery Manufacturing
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
7
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
14
Tire Dealers
29
Tire Retreading
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
34
Tobacco Stores
13
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Travel Agencies
15
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
56
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
29
Vending Machine Operators
15
Video Tape and Disc Rental
22
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
15
Voluntary Health Organizations
14
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
5
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
78
Window Treatment Stores
6
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
45
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
3
Yarn Spinning Mills
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Forming a Company in Knoxville, Tennessee

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Tennessee, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Tennessee. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Registered Agents. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Knoxville, Tennessee, our web page covering Incorporating in Tennessee may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Tennessee.

Promoting Your New Venture

To grow your Knoxville business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Transit Advertising is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Knoxville, Tennessee, you should investigate some of the learning programs at local Tennessee educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Knoxville networking organizations.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Knoxville. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Knoxville and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Knoxville, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Knoxville, Tennessee

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

More Startup Articles for Tennessee Cities

Starting a Business in Kingston Springs
Starting a Business in La Follette

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