Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Wausau, Wisconsin

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

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Wallpaper & Wallcovering Installation Business guide or our Starting a Registered Municipal Accountants Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Wausau. If Wausau already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Wausau demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Wausau, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4916
5-9 Employees
2044
10-19 Employees
1848
20-49 Employees
1158
50-99 Employees
396
100-249 Employees
264
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
24
All Wausau Businesses
10728

As a new Wausau entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wausau 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
5
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
24
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
3
Book Stores
5
Bowling Centers
2
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
2
Cheese Manufacturing
2
Child and Youth Services
8
Civic and Social Organizations
14
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
5
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
9
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Dental Laboratories
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
3
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
29
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
12
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
8
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
11
Family Clothing Stores
12
Family Planning Centers
2
Fine Arts Schools
7
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
7
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
2
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Service Contractors
8
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
47
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
9
General Automotive Repair
14
General Freight Trucking, Local
7
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
3
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
5
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
12
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
12
Landscaping Services
11
Limited-Service Restaurants
42
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Logging
1
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
4
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
9
Meat Markets
1
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
4
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
New Car Dealers
7
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
14
Offices of Chiropractors
11
Offices of Dentists
40
Offices of Lawyers
53
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
7
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
4
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
3
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
12
Roofing Contractors
2
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
3
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
20
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
13
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Television Broadcasting
4
Temporary Help Services
8
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
6
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
12
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
4
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Wausau, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Scams. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include United Marketing Solutions and Discount Sports Nutrition. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Carpet Care Franchises and Leisure and Entertainment Franchises.

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

Choosing a Company Name

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Wausau, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another Wisconsin business.

Company Formation in Wausau, Wisconsin

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal 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 traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporation 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 Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. 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'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 Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Wausau, Wisconsin, our web page covering Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Wausau customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a excellent marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Working with an Advertising Agency 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.

Selling Tips

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

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling Stuff on the Web offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Wausau and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Wausau, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Wausau, Wisconsin

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

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