Start a Business in Atchison, Kansas

Are you starting a business in Atchison, Kansas? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Atchison.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

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.

• Talk to other entrepreneurs in Atchison. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
• We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
• Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Which Business to Choose?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

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 Auto Service & Repair Consultants Business guide or our How to Start a Postage Equipment & Service Business guide.

Remember that Atchison is the place where you are starting a business. If Atchison already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Study Atchison demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Atchison, Kansas Demographic Information

Atchison has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Atchison demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Atchison.

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	520
5-9 Employees	225
10-19 Employees	183
20-49 Employees	93
50-99 Employees	33
100-249 Employees	15
250-499 Employees	9
500-999 Employees	6
1000+ Employees	0
All Atchison Businesses	1084

As a new Atchison entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Atchison 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Beauty Salons	3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	2
Book Stores	1
Bowling Centers	1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing	1
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Car Washes	2
Cemeteries and Crematories	1
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	1
Civic and Social Organizations	5
Clothing Accessories Stores	1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Commercial Screen Printing	1
Computer and Software Stores	1
Credit Unions	2
Discount Department Stores	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	6
Elementary and Secondary Schools	3
Emergency and Other Relief Services	1
Engineering Services	1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	1
Flooring Contractors	1
Florists	3
Flour Milling	1
Food Service Contractors	3
Framing Contractors	2
Full-Service Restaurants	16
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	2
Furniture Stores	2
General Automotive Repair	4
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	2
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Hardware Stores	1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	1
Home Health Equipment Rental	1
Homes for the Elderly	3
Household Appliance Stores	1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing	1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	8
Investment Advice	2
Iron and Steel Forging	1
Janitorial Services	3
Jewelry Stores	1
Kidney Dialysis Centers	1
Landscaping Services	3
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	10
Luggage Manufacturing	1
Manifold Business Forms Printing	1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing	1
Museums	3
Natural Gas Distribution	1
New Car Dealers	1
New Housing Operative Builders	2
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Office Administrative Services	1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	3
Offices of Chiropractors	4
Offices of Dentists	5
Offices of Lawyers	7
Offices of Optometrists	2
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Photography Studios, Portrait	1
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	1
Portfolio Management	1
Radio Stations	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Real Estate Credit	1
Residential Remodelers	6
Rooming and Boarding Houses	1
Securities Brokerage	2
Shoe Stores	1
Siding Contractors	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	2
Solid Waste Landfill	1
Steel Foundries (except Investment)	1
Tax Preparation Services	2
Taxi Service	1
Temporary Help Services	1
Temporary Shelters	1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters	1
Tire Dealers	2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Travel Agencies	1
Used Car Dealers	1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	1
Vending Machine Operators	1
Veterinary Services	4
Video Tape and Disc Rental	2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	4
Wet Corn Milling	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Atchison and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Mistakes. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include eAuction Depot and Furniture Medic L.P.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Consulting Franchises and Franchises that Serve Liquor.

Note on Atchison Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Atchison, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Atchison Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Kansas. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Atchison.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Atchison or are selling to customers throughout Kansas, 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.

Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Atchison, Kansas, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Kansas educational institutions. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Atchison networking organizations.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Atchison. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Atchison and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Atchison, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Atchison, Kansas

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Atchison.

• Resources for Atchison, Kansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Atchison 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.
• Atchison, Kansas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Atchison, Kansas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Atchison area.
• Atchison, Kansas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Atchison, Kansas area radio stations.
• Atchison, Kansas Payroll Services - This list includes Atchison, Kansas payroll services, national payroll services for Atchison, and helpful information on choosing a Atchison payroll service.
• Atchison, Kansas Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Atchison, Kansas, such as business brokers in Atchison and other helpful information on how to buy a Atchison business.

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