Ohio Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Marion, Ohio

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

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

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 Ditching Contractors Business guide or our How to Start a Title Insurance Business guide.

Don't forget that you are starting a business in Marion. If Marion already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Marion demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Marion, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
29469
5-9 Employees
16245
10-19 Employees
8835
20-49 Employees
6099
50-99 Employees
2052
100-249 Employees
1596
250-499 Employees
570
500-999 Employees
171
1000+ Employees
114
All Marion Businesses
65151

As a new Marion entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Marion 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
1
Ambulance Services
4
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
3
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
16
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
4
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
3
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
4
Child Day Care Services
7
Civic and Social Organizations
19
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Consumer Lending
5
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
9
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Credit Unions
4
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
11
Electronic Auctions
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
4
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
5
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
7
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
3
Florists
3
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
26
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
13
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
6
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Stores
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
4
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Inland Water Passenger Transportation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
26
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
3
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry Stores
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
6
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
6
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
3
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Nail Salons
2
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
7
Offices of Dentists
24
Offices of Lawyers
28
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
4
Payroll Services
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
5
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
8
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
4
Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Shoe Stores
7
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
3
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Tax Preparation Services
5
Temporary Help Services
7
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire Dealers
5
Tobacco Stores
3
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
10
Women's Clothing Stores
3
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Marion, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. 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 Staffing a Franchise. 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 Valu Auto Care Centers and Dr. Glass Window Washing. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cell Phone Franchises and Automotive Services Franchises.

Note on Marion Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Marion.

Choosing a Company Name

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 should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Marion, it's critical that you ensure that no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Marion, Ohio, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Marion entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Marion, 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.

We are here to help Marion businesses to be successful. 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 Marion, Ohio

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

  • Resources for Marion, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Marion 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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Starting a Business in Martins Ferry

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