Arkansas Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Dover, Arkansas

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Dover. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

What Business to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Toy Store guide or our Opening a Tree Services Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

Remember that Dover is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Dover than others. A critical consideration is whether Dover demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Dover, Arkansas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3024
5-9 Employees
720
10-19 Employees
432
20-49 Employees
288
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Dover Businesses
4464

As a new Dover entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dover 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 Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Business Associations
1
Car Washes
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Convenience Stores
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Engineering Services
2
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
1
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
1
Landscaping Services
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
3
Logging
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Residential Remodelers
3
Sawmills
1
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Dover and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. 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 Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings and The Dinner A' Fare. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Franchises and Dollar Store Franchises.

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

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.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Dover, it's critical that you ensure that no other Arkansas company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Writing a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Presentations. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Arkansas.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Dover, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Dover and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Dover 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 Dover, Arkansas

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Arkansas

Starting a Business in Des Arc
Starting a Business in Dumas

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Arkansas
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