Missouri Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Independence, Missouri

Contemplating starting a business in Independence, Missouri? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Independence.

Independence, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
44352
5-9 Employees
19239
10-19 Employees
12375
20-49 Employees
8118
50-99 Employees
3168
100-249 Employees
1353
250-499 Employees
198
500-999 Employees
99
1000+ Employees
33
All Independence Businesses
88935

As a new Independence entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Independence 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
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
1
Ambulance Services
2
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Apprenticeship Training
2
Architectural Services
3
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
23
Automotive Transmission Repair
7
Baked Goods Stores
7
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
40
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
7
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
4
Business Associations
4
Cafeterias
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
8
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
3
Cement Manufacturing
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
13
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
13
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
8
Commercial Lithographic Printing
6
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
10
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
10
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
9
Custom Roll Forming
1
Dental Laboratories
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
6
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
9
Discount Department Stores
9
Display Advertising
5
Document Preparation Services
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
23
Dry Pasta Manufacturing
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
9
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
28
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Shopping
5
Employment Placement Agencies
8
Engineering Services
15
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
16
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
7
Finish Carpentry Contractors
15
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
7
Floor Covering Stores
7
Flooring Contractors
11
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
15
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Full-Service Restaurants
75
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
39
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
5
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
22
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
5
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
5
Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing
1
Historical Sites
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
8
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
6
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
5
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
66
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
4
Janitorial Services
36
Jewelry Stores
16
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
4
Landscaping Services
29
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Libraries and Archives
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
94
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Machine Shops
8
Mail-Order Houses
3
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Masonry Contractors
14
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
1
Nail Salons
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
11
New Housing Operative Builders
10
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
14
Offices of Chiropractors
21
Offices of Dentists
54
Offices of Lawyers
70
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
Optical Goods Stores
7
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
18
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
17
Photography Studios, Portrait
14
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
2
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
4
Real Estate Credit
8
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Remediation Services
3
Residential Property Managers
9
Residential Remodelers
22
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
11
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
5
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
6
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
22
Siding Contractors
7
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
11
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
18
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Special Needs Transportation
1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
12
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Tax Preparation Services
19
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
8
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
6
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Car Dealers
14
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Used Merchandise Stores
8
Vending Machine Operators
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
11
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
9
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Independence Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Missouri. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Independence.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Company

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Independence, it's critical that you ensure that no other Missouri company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Independence, Missouri

It's essential 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.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating 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. If you are starting a business in Missouri, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Missouri. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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 Incorporating Online. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Independence, Missouri, our information on Incorporating in Missouri may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Missouri.

The Role of the Business Plan

Writing a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Missouri.

Bring in Revenues

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Independence business, you need to focus on sales.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Writing Great Proposals 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 Independence, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

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

We are here to help Independence businesses to be successful. 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 Independence, Missouri

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

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