Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

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

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1435
5-9 Employees
501
10-19 Employees
357
20-49 Employees
225
50-99 Employees
78
100-249 Employees
42
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
6
1000+ Employees
0
All Oconomowoc Businesses
2662

As a new Oconomowoc entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Oconomowoc 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
Architectural Services
1
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
11
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Boat Dealers
2
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
2
Building Inspection Services
4
Business Associations
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Bakeries
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
9
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
14
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Engineering Services
7
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
9
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
10
Full-Service Restaurants
19
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
7
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Hunting and Trapping
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
16
Janitorial Services
13
Jewelry Stores
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
16
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
2
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
4
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Metal Stamping
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Lawyers
14
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
12
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Residential Remodelers
17
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
4
Savings Institutions
4
Schiffli Machine Embroidery
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
5
Siding Contractors
7
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
12
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Oconomowoc, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Scams. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Stone to Foam and Batteries Plus. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Care Franchises and Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises.

Note on Oconomowoc Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Oconomowoc.

Forming a Company in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

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. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. As it turns out, 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Why Incorporate in Delaware. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, our information on Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Oconomowoc business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Line of Credit.

For Oconomowoc entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Wisconsin Angel Investors and our List of Wisconsin Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

To grow your Oconomowoc business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Business Logo Design 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.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Oconomowoc business to do well.

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.

Effective Sales Presentations is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Moving Forward

Most new Oconomowoc businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

We are here to help Oconomowoc 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 Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

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

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