Illinois Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Petersburg, Illinois

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

Petersburg, Illinois Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3058
5-9 Employees
759
10-19 Employees
363
20-49 Employees
297
50-99 Employees
99
100-249 Employees
33
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Petersburg Businesses
4609

As a new Petersburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Petersburg 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
Ambulance Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Beauty Salons
1
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Business Associations
2
Car Washes
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Full-Service Restaurants
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
1
Landscaping Services
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
3
New Car Dealers
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Professional Organizations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Petersburg, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Janilink and A&A Cruises & Travel. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Employment and Staffing Franchises and Auto Repair Franchises.

Note on Petersburg Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Petersburg, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Should You Buy an Existing Petersburg Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Illinois. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Petersburg.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Free Business Plan Templates. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Illinois.

Raising Money for Your Venture

Obtaining startup financing for your Petersburg business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Find Start-Up Capital.

For Petersburg entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, we have assembled a List of Illinois Angel Investors and our List of Illinois Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Company

To grow your Petersburg business, you need a solid marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. PR Versus 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.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Petersburg. 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 Petersburg businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Petersburg, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Petersburg, Illinois

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

More Business Startup Guides for Illinois

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Starting a Business in Pinckneyville

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