Missouri Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Rolla, Missouri

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

Rolla, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4353
5-9 Employees
1629
10-19 Employees
1134
20-49 Employees
648
50-99 Employees
270
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
9
All Rolla Businesses
8106

As a new Rolla entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Rolla 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
Advertising Agencies
2
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
4
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Boat Building
1
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
9
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Computer Training
1
Consumer Lending
5
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
3
Credit Unions
2
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
5
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
10
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
3
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
4
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
28
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
14
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
5
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
28
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
4
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
11
Offices of Lawyers
12
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Political Organizations
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Roofing Contractors
7
Rooming and Boarding Houses
13
Savings Institutions
1
Sawmills
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
6
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Support Activities for Coal Mining
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Temporary Help Services
3
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
1
Truss Manufacturing
2
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wineries
1
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Forming a Company in Rolla, Missouri

It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will choose from many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Missouri, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Missouri. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Rolla, Missouri, our web page covering Incorporating in Missouri may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Missouri.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

Having a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. 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 makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Missouri.

Raising Money for Your Company

Raising money to fund your new Rolla business is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Business Line of Credit.

For Rolla entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Rolla or are selling to customers throughout Missouri, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling Stuff on the Web is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Rolla, Missouri, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Missouri universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Rolla networking organizations.

Next Steps

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Rolla businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Rolla, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Rolla, Missouri

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Missouri

Starting a Business in Rock Port
Starting a Business in Saint Clair

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary