Washington Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Federal Way, Washington

Need help starting a business in Federal Way, Washington? We've got the information you need to open a business in Federal Way.

Federal Way, Washington Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3287
5-9 Employees
1269
10-19 Employees
759
20-49 Employees
498
50-99 Employees
165
100-249 Employees
81
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
3
All Federal Way Businesses
6083

As a new Federal Way entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Federal Way 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
16
Baked Goods Stores
4
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
31
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Book Stores
5
Bowling Centers
1
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
8
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
1
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
29
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Computer Systems Design Services
9
Consumer Lending
5
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
5
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
6
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
8
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
6
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
9
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
8
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
12
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
6
Family Clothing Stores
6
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finfish Fishing
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
10
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
8
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
54
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
6
Homes for the Elderly
13
Industrial Sand Mining
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
53
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
8
Janitorial Services
28
Jewelry Stores
9
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
12
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
6
Limited-Service Restaurants
79
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Markets
2
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Mobile Food Services
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
2
New Car Dealers
2
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
17
Offices of Dentists
77
Offices of Lawyers
34
Offices of Optometrists
11
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
12
Optical Goods Stores
6
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Passenger Car Rental
3
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
9
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
27
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
19
Residential Remodelers
24
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
7
Sales Financing
3
Securities Brokerage
15
Security Guards and Patrol Services
4
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
10
Siding Contractors
9
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
26
Sporting Goods Stores
10
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Tax Preparation Services
10
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
8
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
3
Travel Agencies
8
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Vending Machine Operators
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
13
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
5

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Federal Way Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Washington. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Federal Way.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Choosing a Company Name

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Federal Way, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Washington business.

Company Formation in Federal Way, Washington

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The main advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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. Just because you are starting a business in Washington, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Washington. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Registered Agents. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Federal Way, Washington, our web page covering Incorporating in Washington may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Washington.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, 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 Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Washington.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best business owners know that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Federal Way, Washington, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local Washington educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Federal Way entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Federal Way and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Federal Way entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Federal Way, Washington

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Washington

Starting a Business in Fairchild AFB
Starting a Business in Ferndale

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Washington
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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