Ohio Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Portsmouth, Ohio

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

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Race Car Parts, Equipment, & Supplies Retail Business guide or our Starting a Computer Training Business guide.

Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Portsmouth. Some businesses will do better in Portsmouth than others. A critical consideration is whether Portsmouth demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Portsmouth, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4700
5-9 Employees
2556
10-19 Employees
1608
20-49 Employees
876
50-99 Employees
336
100-249 Employees
168
250-499 Employees
24
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
12
All Portsmouth Businesses
10280

As a new Portsmouth entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Portsmouth 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
2
Business Associations
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Car Washes
2
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
7
Civic and Social Organizations
7
Claims Adjusting
1
Clay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
12
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Credit Unions
5
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Display Advertising
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
14
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food Service Contractors
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Full-Service Restaurants
32
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
8
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
9
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
16
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
1
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
7
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscaping Services
5
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
31
Locksmiths
1
Logging
2
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marine Cargo Handling
2
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Car Dealers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
13
Offices of Lawyers
28
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
2
Resilient Floor Covering Manufacturing
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
6
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
5
Siding Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
7
Temporary Help Services
3
Temporary Shelters
2
Tire Dealers
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
5

Naming the Business

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

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

Forming a Company in Portsmouth, Ohio

It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will separate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

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

Incorporating 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 the state of your choosing. 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 Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Portsmouth, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Marketing Your New Startup

To grow your Portsmouth business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Yellow Pages Advertising Advice is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

With your business being located in Portsmouth, Ohio, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking organizations for Portsmouth entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Portsmouth, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth, Ohio

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

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