Contemplating starting a business in Bartlesville, Oklahoma? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Bartlesville.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Bartlesville. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
What Type of Business Should You Start?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Holiness Churches Business guide or our Opening a Steeple & Spire Construction Business guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Bartlesville has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Bartlesville than others. A critical consideration is whether Bartlesville demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Bartlesville, Oklahoma Demographic Information
Bartlesville has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Bartlesville demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Bartlesville.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1728 |
| 5-9 Employees |
696 |
| 10-19 Employees |
414 |
| 20-49 Employees |
282 |
| 50-99 Employees |
111 |
| 100-249 Employees |
24 |
| 250-499 Employees |
15 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
3 |
| All Bartlesville Businesses |
3276 |
As a new Bartlesville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bartlesville 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 |
| Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
6 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
|
Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
9 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Book Stores |
6 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
|
Cafeterias |
3 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
12 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
10 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
|
Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
|
Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
10 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
3 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
2 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
6 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
5 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
9 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
4 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
4 |
|
Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
7 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
40 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
4 |
| General Automotive Repair |
11 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
6 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
|
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
7 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
|
Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Industrial Launderers |
3 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
26 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
|
Landscaping Services |
12 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
28 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
|
Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
4 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
|
New Car Dealers |
9 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
18 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
19 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
|
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
9 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
|
Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
4 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
|
Radio Stations |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
4 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
|
Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
11 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
|
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
4 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
3 |
|
Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
3 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
3 |
|
Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
Forming a Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Oklahoma, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Oklahoma. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Where to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, our web page covering Incorporating in Oklahoma may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Oklahoma.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim The Art of the Executive Summary. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Oklahoma.
Raising Money for Your Business
Raising money to fund your new Bartlesville business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Bank Credit Lines.
For Bartlesville entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Oklahoma Angel Investors and our List of Oklahoma Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Business
To grow your Bartlesville business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
You can learn all about marketing on our site. Advertising Campaigns is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Bartlesville. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Bartlesville and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Bartlesville, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Bartlesville.
- Resources for Bartlesville, Oklahoma Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Bartlesville entrepreneurs.
- Oklahoma Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma Small Business Development Center - Whether you are in business or thinking about it, the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center staff can assist you. Their goal is to help Oklahoma entrepreneurs like you be more successful.
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Bartlesville, Oklahoma newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Bartlesville area.
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Bartlesville, Oklahoma area radio stations.
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma Payroll Services - This list includes Bartlesville, Oklahoma payroll services, national payroll services for Bartlesville, and helpful information on choosing a Bartlesville payroll service.
- Bartlesville, Oklahoma Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, such as business brokers in Bartlesville and other helpful information on how to buy a Bartlesville business.
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