Illinois Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Olney, Illinois
Thinking about starting a business in Olney, Illinois? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Olney.
Olney, Illinois Demographic Information
Olney has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Olney demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Olney.
Businesses
As a new Olney entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Olney 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
Is Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Olney, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Detecting Franchising Scams. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Car Wash Guys and Chem-Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Fitness Franchises and Mail and Shipping Services Franchises.
Note on Olney Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Olney, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Startup Financing Basics
Obtaining startup financing for your Olney business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Only Idiots Send Venture Capitalists Business Plans.
For Olney entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Startup
Whether your goal is to attract Olney customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, 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. Advertising on Google discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
The Art of Selling
Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Olney business to do well.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Compensating Sales People is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Olney, Illinois, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Olney entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Moving Forward
Most new Olney businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Olney and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Olney entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Olney, Illinois
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Olney.
- Resources for Olney, Illinois Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Olney entrepreneurs.
- Illinois Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Illinois.
- Illinois Small Business Development Center - Illinois Small Business Development Centers located throughout the state provide assistance to new and existing small businesses.
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