Iowa Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Cedar Falls, Iowa

Need help starting a business in Cedar Falls, Iowa? We've got the information you need to open a business in Cedar Falls.

Cedar Falls, Iowa Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1287
5-9 Employees
594
10-19 Employees
420
20-49 Employees
306
50-99 Employees
114
100-249 Employees
48
250-499 Employees
24
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
0
All Cedar Falls Businesses
2796

As a new Cedar Falls entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cedar Falls 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
5
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
7
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
11
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer Systems Design Services
7
Computer Training
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
8
Custom Computer Programming Services
6
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
11
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
8
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
8
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
6
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
39
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
5
General Automotive Repair
7
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
21
Investment Advice
9
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
5
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
9
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
27
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
3
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Stamping
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
9
Offices of Dentists
18
Offices of Lawyers
11
Offices of Optometrists
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
4
Periodical Publishers
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Quick Printing
1
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
6
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
3
Remediation Services
2
Residential Property Managers
8
Residential Remodelers
5
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
5
Shoe Stores
4
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Software Publishers
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Tax Preparation Services
7
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Temporary Help Services
1
Testing Laboratories
4
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
2
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
9
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
7

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Cedar Falls Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Iowa. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Cedar Falls.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

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.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

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

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Cedar Falls, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another Iowa business.

Company Formation in Cedar Falls, Iowa

It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as 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. Just because you are starting a business in Iowa, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Iowa. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Dissolving a Corporation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Cedar Falls, Iowa, our web page covering Incorporating in Iowa may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Iowa.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Cedar Falls business to do well.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Cold Call Selling is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Successful business owners know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Cedar Falls, Iowa, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Iowa educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Cedar Falls entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

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

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Cedar Falls and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Cedar Falls, Iowa

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

  • Resources for Cedar Falls, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Cedar Falls entrepreneurs.
  • Iowa Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Iowa.
  • Iowa Small Business Development Center - The Iowa SBDC conducts research, counsels, and trains business people in management, financing, and operating small businesses. They provide comprehensive information services and access to experts in a variety of fields. This is a great resource for Iowa entrepreneurs!

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Iowa

Starting a Business in Cascade
Starting a Business in Cedar Rapids

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

 

 

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