Ohio Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Lancaster, Ohio
Are you starting a business in Lancaster, Ohio? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Lancaster.
Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Lancaster. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. 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.
Lancaster, Ohio Demographic Information
Lancaster has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lancaster demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lancaster.
Businesses
As a new Lancaster entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lancaster 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.
Businesses
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Lancaster, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Find Financing for Franchises. 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 Baby Power / Forever Kids and Certified Travel Services. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bookstore Franchises and Deli Restaurant Franchises.
Note on Lancaster Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Lancaster.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Lancaster Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Ohio. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Lancaster.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Picking a Company Name
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Lancaster, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Ohio company using the business name you have chosen.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Lancaster customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Promoting an Online Business is a good read to get your marketing thoughts flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Lancaster. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Lancaster businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Lancaster, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lancaster, Ohio
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lancaster.
- Resources for Lancaster, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lancaster entrepreneurs.
- Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
- Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.
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