Illinois Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Skokie, Illinois
Contemplating starting a business in Skokie, Illinois? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Skokie.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Skokie. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Skokie, Illinois Demographic Information
Skokie has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Skokie demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Skokie.
Businesses
As a new Skokie entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Skokie 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 a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Skokie and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.
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 My Family CD and Six Disciplines Leadership Center. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Embroidery Franchises and Pet Franchises.
Note on Skokie Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Skokie, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Forming a Company in Skokie, Illinois
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will protect 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. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Illinois, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Illinois. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Skokie, Illinois, our information on Incorporating in Illinois may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Illinois.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Skokie or are selling to customers throughout Illinois, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Compensating Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.
With your business being located in Skokie, Illinois, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Illinois universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Skokie networking organizations.
Interviews With Skokie Entrepreneurs
Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Skokie entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Skokie. 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 Skokie businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Skokie 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 Skokie, Illinois
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Skokie.
- Resources for Skokie, Illinois Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Skokie 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.
More Startup Articles for Illinois Cities
Starting a Business in Silvis
Starting a Business in Sparta
Browse All Business Startup Guides for Illinois
Starting a Business Guides for Other States
Share this article
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs