Thinking about starting a business in Cheyenne, Wyoming? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Cheyenne.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Most new companies fail, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
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 Cheyenne. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Free Business Ideas.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Plastic Hobby & Household Products Business guide or our How to Start a Rheumatology Pediatrics Physicians & Surgeons Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are opening your new business in Cheyenne. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Cheyenne. A critical consideration is whether Cheyenne demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Cheyenne, Wyoming Demographic Information
Cheyenne has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Cheyenne demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Cheyenne.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
7698 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2974 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1866 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1194 |
| 50-99 Employees |
390 |
| 100-249 Employees |
174 |
| 250-499 Employees |
36 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Cheyenne Businesses |
14344 |
As a new Cheyenne entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cheyenne 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 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
10 |
| Armored Car Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
7 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
21 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
3 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
15 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Business Associations |
12 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
7 |
| Child and Youth Services |
9 |
| Child Day Care Services |
29 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
22 |
| Claims Adjusting |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
5 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
13 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
7 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
10 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
14 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Digital Printing |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
4 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
14 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
9 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
19 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
8 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
4 |
| Engineering Services |
19 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
9 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finfish Fishing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
4 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
9 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
51 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
22 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
7 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Gold Ore Mining |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
3 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
6 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
47 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
3 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
19 |
| Jewelry Stores |
8 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
4 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
23 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
5 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
57 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
10 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
5 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
7 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
8 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
4 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
12 |
| News Syndicates |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
14 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
17 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
40 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
89 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
8 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
7 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
13 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Petroleum Refineries |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
5 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
2 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
5 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
8 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
8 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
9 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
4 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
24 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
13 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
3 |
| Secondary Market Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
14 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
12 |
| Siding Contractors |
6 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
17 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
14 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
8 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
12 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
9 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
6 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
9 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
13 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
6 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
16 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
Company Formation in Cheyenne, Wyoming
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The primary advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Wyoming, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Wyoming. 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's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Cheyenne, Wyoming, our information on Incorporating in Wyoming may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wyoming.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Wyoming.
Promoting Your New Venture
To rise above the crowd in Cheyenne and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising in the Yellow Pages discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Cheyenne businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Cheyenne and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Cheyenne, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Cheyenne.
- Resources for Cheyenne, Wyoming Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Cheyenne entrepreneurs.
- Wyoming Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Wyoming.
- Wyoming Small Business Development Center - The Wyoming Small Business Development Center provides free and confidential consulting services to individual businesses, offers various products online of specific use to various businesses, sponsors affordable educational programs targeted at the small business community, and maintains links with various business resources throughout Wyoming and the nation.
- Cheyenne, Wyoming Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Cheyenne, Wyoming newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Cheyenne area.
- Cheyenne, Wyoming Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Cheyenne, Wyoming area radio stations.
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