Iowa Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Ames, Iowa
Contemplating starting a business in Ames, Iowa? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Ames.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneurial life is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ames. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.
To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Liquid & Bulk Storage Business guide or our Opening a Metal Sculptures Business guide.
Remember that starting a business in Ames has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Ames than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Ames demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Ames, Iowa Demographic Information
Ames has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ames demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ames.
Businesses
As a new Ames entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ames 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
Raising Funding for Your Venture
Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Ames business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Ames entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of Iowa Angel Investors and our List of Iowa Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Ames customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Promoting an Online Business is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
How to Sell
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Ames business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Ames, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
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 Ames and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Ames, Iowa
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ames.
- Resources for Ames, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ames entrepreneurs.
- Iowa Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Iowa.
- Iowa Small Business Development Center - The Iowa SBDC conducts research, counsels, and trains business people in management, financing, and operating small businesses. They provide comprehensive information services and access to experts in a variety of fields. This is a great resource for Iowa entrepreneurs!
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