Contemplating starting a business in Abilene, Kansas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Abilene.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
An entrepreneurial life is difficult, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Abilene. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Which Business to Choose?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Energy Consultants Business guide or our Starting an Incinerators Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.
Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Abilene. If Abilene already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Abilene demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Abilene, Kansas Demographic Information
Abilene has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Abilene demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Abilene.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1188 |
| 5-9 Employees |
390 |
| 10-19 Employees |
294 |
| 20-49 Employees |
138 |
| 50-99 Employees |
0 |
| 100-249 Employees |
18 |
| 250-499 Employees |
6 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Abilene Businesses |
2040 |
As a new Abilene entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Abilene 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 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Farm Management Services |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Flour Milling |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
11 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
7 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
9 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
6 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
2 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
6 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
7 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Abilene, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you investigate buying a franchise. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Why Franchises Fail. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Remote Control Hobbies and . Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Restaurant Franchises and Donut Shop Franchises.
Note on Abilene Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Abilene.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow 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 Business Presentations. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Kansas.
Marketing Your New Company
To grow your Abilene business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Marketing Basics is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Abilene, 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Abilene and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Abilene, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Abilene, Kansas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Abilene.
- Resources for Abilene, Kansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Abilene entrepreneurs.
- Kansas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Kansas.
- Kansas Small Business Development Center - The KSBDC Network provides Kansas entrepreneurs and small business owners with knowledge, tools and resources to enhance their success. Contact them and they will help you identify your business needs and guide you toward opportunities and solutions.
- Abilene, Kansas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Abilene, Kansas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Abilene area.
- Abilene, Kansas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Abilene, Kansas area radio stations.
- Abilene, Kansas Payroll Services - This list includes Abilene, Kansas payroll services, national payroll services for Abilene, and helpful information on choosing a Abilene payroll service.
More Business Startup Guides for Kansas
Starting a Business in Alma
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Kansas
Starting a Business
Guides for Other States
