Kansas Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Andover, Kansas

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

Do You Have What It Takes?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Andover. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Andover, Kansas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4290
5-9 Employees
1170
10-19 Employees
840
20-49 Employees
780
50-99 Employees
150
100-249 Employees
90
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Andover Businesses
7320

As a new Andover entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Andover 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
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Boat Dealers
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Engineering Services
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
8
Interior Design Services
1
Janitorial Services
1
Landscaping Services
6
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
14
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
4
Offices of Lawyers
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
4
Residential Remodelers
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Securities Brokerage
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Andover and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. 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 First Choice Haircutters and Frsteam. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dating Service Franchises and Mail and Shipping Services Franchises.

Note on Andover Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Andover, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Choosing a Company Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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?

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

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Andover, it's very important that you make sure no other Kansas company is using the business name you want to use.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Andover business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Investor Turnoffs.

For Andover entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Kansas Angel Investors and our List of Kansas Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Andover customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising Campaigns is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

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

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Good Sales Strategies 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

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Andover and throughout the United States . 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 Andover, Kansas

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

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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