Ohio Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Ottawa, Ohio

Need help starting a business in Ottawa, Ohio? We've got the information you need to open a business in Ottawa.

Ottawa, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1059
5-9 Employees
522
10-19 Employees
459
20-49 Employees
144
50-99 Employees
63
100-249 Employees
63
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ottawa Businesses
2328

As a new Ottawa entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ottawa 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
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Beauty Salons
5
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Convenience Stores
1
Credit Unions
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Display Advertising
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Full-Service Restaurants
8
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
9
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Jewelry Stores
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
11
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
3
Meat Markets
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
New Car Dealers
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Lawyers
5
Optical Goods Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Securities Brokerage
2
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Naming the Company

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.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Ottawa, it's very important that you make sure no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Ottawa, Ohio

A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Ohio, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Piercing the Corporate Veil. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Ottawa, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Ohio.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Ottawa business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as 504 Loans.

For Ottawa entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, you'll want to take a look at our List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Ottawa customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Print Advertising Costs is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Sell

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ottawa or are selling to customers throughout Ohio, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Ottawa 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 Ottawa, Ohio

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

  • Resources for Ottawa, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ottawa 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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