Thinking about starting a business in Springfield, Illinois? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Springfield.
Springfield has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Springfield demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Springfield.
As a new Springfield entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Springfield 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 |
|
Advertising Agencies
|
6 |
|
Ambulance Services
|
4 |
|
Amusement and Theme Parks
|
2 |
|
Amusement Arcades
|
4 |
|
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
|
2 |
|
Apprenticeship Training
|
5 |
|
Architectural Services
|
20 |
|
Armored Car Services
|
2 |
|
Art Dealers
|
4 |
|
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
|
2 |
|
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
|
1 |
|
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
|
7 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
|
28 |
|
Automotive Transmission Repair
|
5 |
|
Baked Goods Stores
|
5 |
|
Barber Shops
|
2 |
|
Beauty Salons
|
44 |
|
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
|
10 |
|
Blood and Organ Banks
|
3 |
|
Boat Dealers
|
3 |
|
Book Publishers
|
3 |
|
Book Stores
|
12 |
|
Books Printing
|
2 |
|
Bowling Centers
|
4 |
|
Building Inspection Services
|
5 |
|
Business Associations
|
69 |
|
Cable and Other Program Distribution
|
4 |
|
Cafeterias
|
12 |
|
Canvas and Related Product Mills
|
1 |
|
Car Washes
|
16 |
|
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
|
8 |
|
Caterers
|
9 |
|
Cemeteries and Crematories
|
4 |
|
Charter Bus Industry
|
1 |
|
Child and Youth Services
|
12 |
|
Child Day Care Services
|
33 |
|
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
|
8 |
|
Civic and Social Organizations
|
38 |
|
Claims Adjusting
|
7 |
|
Clothing Accessories Stores
|
8 |
|
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
|
2 |
|
Collection Agencies
|
7 |
|
Commercial Flexographic Printing
|
2 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing
|
12 |
|
Commercial Photography
|
1 |
|
Commercial Screen Printing
|
2 |
|
Community Food Services
|
2 |
|
Computer and Software Stores
|
7 |
|
Computer Facilities Management Services
|
3 |
|
Computer Systems Design Services
|
41 |
|
Computer Training
|
2 |
|
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Confectionery and Nut Stores
|
6 |
|
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
|
1 |
|
Consumer Lending
|
23 |
|
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
|
1 |
|
Convenience Stores
|
7 |
|
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
|
3 |
|
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
|
2 |
|
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
|
1 |
|
Couriers
|
9 |
|
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
|
2 |
|
Credit Unions
|
16 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills
|
1 |
|
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
|
1 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services
|
28 |
|
Dance Companies
|
1 |
|
Dental Laboratories
|
6 |
|
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
|
3 |
|
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
|
3 |
|
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
|
14 |
|
Direct Mail Advertising
|
3 |
|
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
|
5 |
|
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
|
2 |
|
Discount Department Stores
|
7 |
|
Display Advertising
|
5 |
|
Document Preparation Services
|
3 |
|
Drafting Services
|
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
|
65 |
|
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
|
1 |
|
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
|
5 |
|
Educational Support Services
|
9 |
|
Electric Power Distribution
|
7 |
|
Electrical Contractors
|
24 |
|
Electronic Shopping
|
2 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools
|
19 |
|
Emergency and Other Relief Services
|
1 |
|
Employment Placement Agencies
|
2 |
|
Engineering Services
|
46 |
|
Environmental Consulting Services
|
11 |
|
Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
|
1 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
|
7 |
|
Facilities Support Services
|
2 |
|
Family Clothing Stores
|
15 |
|
Family Planning Centers
|
1 |
|
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
|
1 |
|
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
|
Fine Arts Schools
|
7 |
|
Finish Carpentry Contractors
|
5 |
|
Fish and Seafood Markets
|
2 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
|
14 |
|
Floor Covering Stores
|
9 |
|
Flooring Contractors
|
6 |
|
Florists
|
16 |
|
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
|
4 |
|
Food Service Contractors
|
8 |
|
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
|
4 |
|
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
|
1 |
|
Framing Contractors
|
4 |
|
Freight Transportation Arrangement
|
3 |
|
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
|
2 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants
|
143 |
|
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
|
10 |
|
Fur and Leather Apparel Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Furniture Stores
|
24 |
|
General Automotive Repair
|
39 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local
|
12 |
|
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
|
2 |
|
General Rental Centers
|
3 |
|
General Warehousing and Storage
|
2 |
|
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
|
30 |
|
Glass and Glazing Contractors
|
5 |
|
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
|
8 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations
|
6 |
|
Graphic Design Services
|
5 |
|
Hardware Stores
|
9 |
|
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
|
11 |
|
Home Centers
|
3 |
|
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
|
5 |
|
Home Health Care Services
|
13 |
|
Home Health Equipment Rental
|
3 |
|
Homes for the Elderly
|
7 |
|
Household Appliance Stores
|
13 |
|
Human Rights Organizations
|
3 |
|
Hunting and Trapping
|
1 |
|
Industrial Launderers
|
3 |
|
Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
|
100 |
|
Interior Design Services
|
3 |
|
Internet Service Providers
|
3 |
|
Investigation Services
|
7 |
|
Investment Advice
|
14 |
|
Janitorial Services
|
42 |
|
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Jewelry Stores
|
14 |
|
Junior Colleges
|
1 |
|
Kidney Dialysis Centers
|
3 |
|
Land Subdivision
|
8 |
|
Landscape Architectural Services
|
4 |
|
Landscaping Services
|
42 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
|
8 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants
|
142 |
|
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
|
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
|
1 |
|
Locksmiths
|
3 |
|
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
|
1 |
|
Machine Shops
|
3 |
|
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
|
5 |
|
Marinas
|
1 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services
|
3 |
|
Masonry Contractors
|
19 |
|
Materials Recovery Facilities
|
1 |
|
Mattress Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Meat Markets
|
3 |
|
Media Representatives
|
4 |
|
Medical Laboratories
|
1 |
|
Men's Clothing Stores
|
6 |
|
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Mobile Food Services
|
3 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
|
6 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production
|
1 |
|
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Motor Vehicle Towing
|
3 |
|
Motorcycle Dealers
|
3 |
|
Museums
|
2 |
|
Musical Groups and Artists
|
1 |
|
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
|
4 |
|
Nail Salons
|
3 |
|
New Car Dealers
|
18 |
|
New Housing Operative Builders
|
3 |
|
News Dealers and Newsstands
|
1 |
|
Newspaper Publishers
|
6 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers
|
12 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities
|
10 |
|
Office Administrative Services
|
16 |
|
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
|
10 |
|
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
|
6 |
|
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
|
5 |
|
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
|
41 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors
|
20 |
|
Offices of Dentists
|
84 |
|
Offices of Lawyers
|
111 |
|
Offices of Optometrists
|
5 |
|
Offices of Other Holding Companies
|
6 |
|
Offices of Podiatrists
|
6 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
|
10 |
|
One-Hour Photofinishing
|
1 |
|
Optical Goods Stores
|
9 |
|
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
|
3 |
|
Packing and Crating
|
1 |
|
Paging
|
1 |
|
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
|
11 |
|
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
18 |
|
Paperboard Mills
|
1 |
|
Parking Lots and Garages
|
2 |
|
Passenger Car Rental
|
5 |
|
Payroll Services
|
1 |
|
Periodical Publishers
|
4 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
|
5 |
|
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
|
8 |
|
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
|
1 |
|
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
|
28 |
|
Photography Studios, Portrait
|
15 |
|
Political Organizations
|
13 |
|
Portfolio Management
|
3 |
|
Prepress Services
|
1 |
|
Private Mail Centers
|
2 |
|
Professional Employer Organizations
|
1 |
|
Professional Organizations
|
26 |
|
Public Relations Agencies
|
16 |
|
Quick Printing
|
3 |
|
Radio Stations
|
6 |
|
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
|
2 |
|
Real Estate Credit
|
6 |
|
Real Estate Investment Trusts
|
1 |
|
Recreational Goods Rental
|
1 |
|
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
|
1 |
|
Reinsurance Carriers
|
1 |
|
Remediation Services
|
1 |
|
Residential Property Managers
|
14 |
|
Residential Remodelers
|
33 |
|
Retail Bakeries
|
3 |
|
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
|
6 |
|
Roofing Contractors
|
12 |
|
Rooming and Boarding Houses
|
1 |
|
Sales Financing
|
4 |
|
Savings Institutions
|
4 |
|
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
|
3 |
|
School and Employee Bus Transportation
|
1 |
|
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
|
1 |
|
Securities Brokerage
|
26 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services
|
3 |
|
Septic Tank and Related Services
|
2 |
|
Shoe Stores
|
20 |
|
Siding Contractors
|
3 |
|
Sign Manufacturing
|
3 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors
|
11 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
|
20 |
|
Software Publishers
|
4 |
|
Solid Waste Collection
|
4 |
|
Solid Waste Landfill
|
1 |
|
Special Needs Transportation
|
1 |
|
Sporting Goods Stores
|
21 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction
|
7 |
|
Surface-Coated Paperboard Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Tax Preparation Services
|
16 |
|
Taxi Service
|
1 |
|
Telecommunications Resellers
|
1 |
|
Telemarketing Bureaus
|
1 |
|
Telephone Answering Services
|
2 |
|
Television Broadcasting
|
3 |
|
Temporary Help Services
|
13 |
|
Temporary Shelters
|
3 |
|
Testing Laboratories
|
6 |
|
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
|
1 |
|
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
|
1 |
|
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Tire Dealers
|
13 |
|
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
|
5 |
|
Tobacco Stores
|
5 |
|
Tour Operators
|
2 |
|
Translation and Interpretation Services
|
1 |
|
Travel Agencies
|
9 |
|
Truss Manufacturing
|
2 |
|
Used Car Dealers
|
18 |
|
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
|
5 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores
|
14 |
|
Vending Machine Operators
|
10 |
|
Veterinary Services
|
12 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental
|
16 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
|
7 |
|
Voluntary Health Organizations
|
6 |
|
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
|
3 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
|
10 |
|
Window Treatment Stores
|
1 |
|
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
|
30 |
|
Women's Clothing Stores
|
24 |
|
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
|
2 |
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. 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. Just because you are starting a business in Illinois, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Illinois. As it turns out, 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's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Springfield, Illinois, our information on Incorporating in Illinois may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Illinois.
A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Getting your Springfield business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Attracting Investors.
To grow your Springfield business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Springfield. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
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 Springfield and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Springfield entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Springfield.
