Oklahoma Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Thinking about starting a business in Tahlequah, Oklahoma? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Tahlequah.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Tahlequah. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1013
5-9 Employees
390
10-19 Employees
234
20-49 Employees
108
50-99 Employees
24
100-249 Employees
24
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Tahlequah Businesses
1805

As a new Tahlequah entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Tahlequah 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
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
2
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
12
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
12
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
4
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Floor Covering Stores
2
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
25
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
General Automotive Repair
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
4
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
14
Internet Service Providers
2
Jewelry Stores
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
5
Language Schools
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
23
Machine Shops
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
9
Office Administrative Services
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
6
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
12
Offices of Lawyers
16
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Private Mail Centers
1
Quick Printing
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Recreational Goods Rental
3
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Shoe Stores
5
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Temporary Shelters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
3
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
2
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
2

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Tahlequah, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Multi-Unit Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Nutrilawn, Inc. and Cash Now Neighborhood Financial Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Restaurant Services Franchises and Florist Franchises.

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

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.

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.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Tahlequah, it's very important that you make sure no other Oklahoma company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

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. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Oklahoma.

Letting the World Know You Exist

To rise above the crowd in Tahlequah and advance 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. Getting Publicity is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Tahlequah. 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 Tahlequah businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Tahlequah 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 Tahlequah, Oklahoma

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

More Startup Articles for Oklahoma Cities

Starting a Business in Sulphur
Starting a Business in Taloga

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Oklahoma
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