Skybank Business Loans, a small-business funding service in Wausau, Wisconsin, publishes this page of Marathon County business data: employer and nonemployer counts, employer size classes, the leading sectors, ZIP-level figures, residential permits and self-employment, with notes on lenders, bank loans and equipment requests.
At a glance
- Employer establishments, Marathon County, WI
3,436 (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees, Marathon County, WI
8,963 (Nonemployer Statistics 2024)
- Self-employed share of employed residents
Marathon County, WI 9.6% (+/- 0.8); Wausau, WI 8.1% (+/- 1.5) (ACS 2020-2024)
Marathon County, WI employers by size, 2023
Marathon County had 3,436 employer establishments with 65,770 employees and $3.76 billion in annual payroll in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns). Of those establishments, 1,606 had fewer than five employees, 1,604 had five to 49 by our sum, and 226 had 50 or more, also our sum.
| Size class | Establishments |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 employees | 1,606 |
| 5 to 9 | 667 |
| 10 to 19 | 543 |
| 20 to 49 | 394 |
| 50 to 99 | 121 |
| 100 to 249 | 65 |
| 250 or more | 40 (our sum) |
Eight Marathon County, WI sectors by employer count
| Sector | Employers | Employees | Annual payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 415 | 10,570 | $797.9 million |
| Retail Trade | 414 | 7,991 | $270.3 million |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 377 | 1,980 | $67 million |
| Construction | 365 | 2,860 | $225.4 million |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 343 | 4,838 | $95.1 million |
| Finance and Insurance | 243 | 3,745 | $271.9 million |
| Manufacturing | 240 | 18,923 | $1.22 billion |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 226 | 1,686 | $111.6 million |
Health care and social assistance led on establishments with 415, one more than retail trade. Manufacturing had fewer locations, 240, but the largest payroll of any sector, $1.22 billion (CBP 2023).
Business lenders and funding partners serving Wausau, WI
Business funding around Wausau comes from several kinds of funder: banks and credit unions with local branches, online lenders, equipment finance companies and the finance arms of equipment makers, and providers of merchant cash advances. Marathon County had 71 bank and credit union locations with employees in 2023 (CBP, depository credit intermediation).
Skybank Business Loans matches your request with funding partners, who review it and make their own decision. A partner may be any of those lender types; each one sets its own rules on time in business, revenue and collateral. The Wisconsin lender types guide compares them.
Wausau, WI business loans: what local owners compare first
Wausau owners comparing business loans can line up offers on four points: the cash received after fees, the total of all payments, how often payments are collected, and what security is pledged. A lower monthly payment over a longer term can cost more in total; a short term can strain a slow month. Put each offer in a table with those four columns.
Then check the shape. A line of credit for recurring costs, equipment financing for machines, a term loan for a buyout or remodel.
ZIP 54403: the Wausau, WI ZIP around the listed location
ZIP 54403, the Wausau ZIP that holds Skybank's listed location, had 541 employer establishments, 7,151 employees and $374.8 million in annual payroll in 2023, and 51.2% of those establishments had fewer than five employees (ZIP Code Business Patterns). A ZIP is a postal area, not the city limits; Wausau covers only part of it.
| Sector | Employers | Share with fewer than 5 employees |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 70 | 70.0% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 67 | 37.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 64 | 62.5% |
| Retail Trade | 61 | 42.6% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 60 | 31.7% |
| Construction | 52 | 69.2% |
| Finance and Insurance | 50 | 54.0% |
Rothschild, WI businesses: where to look it up
Rothschild, WI, a village south of Wausau, has its own page with figures for ZIP 54474, which had 130 employer establishments in 2023 (ZBP). Village figures beyond the ZIP come from the American Community Survey. See the Rothschild, WI page, and the areas served page for Schofield, Mosinee and other Marathon County towns.
How to get a small business loan for equipment in Wausau, WI
- Get a written quote: make, model, price, new or used.
- For used equipment, add the year, hours and an inspection report.
- Pull recent bank statements and the latest filed tax return.
- Decide whether you want to own it outright (loan) or use it for a period (lease).
- Call (715) 408-8962 or send the form with the quote amount.
Equipment requests from Marathon County cover CNC machines, dental chairs, kitchen lines, mowers and plows; the industry pages show which trades use which.
How to get a business loan for a business: steps for Wausau, WI owners
The steps are the same for a sole owner and for a company with a payroll: name the purpose, pick a shape, gather the records, send the request, review any written offer. What changes is the depth of the records. A larger request may need a balance sheet, more years of returns and collateral details.
Self-employment shows how common it is to work for oneself: 8.1% (+/- 1.5) of Wausau's employed residents were self-employed in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 2.9% in their own incorporated business and 5.3% in an unincorporated one.
How to get a business loan from a bank in Wausau, WI
A bank in Wausau will want the same core records any partner does: bank statements, tax returns, financial statements and a list of debts. A bank may also ask for a deposit relationship, collateral and a personal guarantee, and a larger request may go through an appraisal or a loan committee. A credit union works similarly but requires membership.
If a bank declines, ask what would change the answer. The reason can point to the shape of funding that fits better.
Housing permits and Skybank's Wausau, WI listing
Building permits for 348 new privately owned housing units were issued in Marathon County in 2025, compared with 408 in 2024 and 396 in 2023 (Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey). Single-unit buildings accounted for 236 of the 2025 units, and buildings of five or more units for 98.
Skybank Business Loans is listed at 328 Washington St, Wausau, WI 54403. Phone (715) 408-8962. Requests can be sent by phone or through the web form; see the contact page, the home page for the six funding shapes, and the Wausau, WI guides for zoning and permits.
Business Owners Served in the Wausau, WI Area
A Wausau, WI business does not need to fit one narrow niche to ask; examples include contractors and construction trades, restaurants and food service, medical and dental practices and retailers and wholesalers that carry stock. The partner handling a file applies its own criteria before reaching a decision.
Bank and Tax Records Wausau, WI Owners Can Prepare
- Bank statements for each account the business uses from the most recent three to six months
- The newest federal return for the company, with personal returns on hand as well
- Profit and loss figures for this year so far plus a current balance sheet
- Articles or a certificate of formation, along with your EIN notice
- A breakdown of current business debt, showing balances and monthly payments
- If the funds buy a machine or vehicle, the written quote, listing the item and its cost
Document requests differ from partner to partner; these items are the typical core.
Where It Goes After You Reach Out from Wausau, WI
- Get in touch at (715) 408-8962 or use the online form and say what the funding is for.
- Then the details reach partners that provide that kind of financing.
- A reviewing partner weighs the request and reaches its own credit decision.
- If a partner makes an offer, read the total cost and every term, and accept only if it works for you.
Local firms in Wausau, WI can work through every step by phone or the online form.
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