Washington Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Kent, Washington

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Most new companies don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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 Kent. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Good Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Billiard Table Recovering & Restoring Business guide or our Opening an Irrigation Equipment Leasing Business guide.

Always keep in mind that you are opening your new business in Kent. Some businesses will do better in Kent than others. Study Kent demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Kent, Washington Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
21492
5-9 Employees
7440
10-19 Employees
6732
20-49 Employees
5340
50-99 Employees
1920
100-249 Employees
936
250-499 Employees
180
500-999 Employees
36
1000+ Employees
36
All Kent Businesses
44112

As a new Kent entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Kent 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
4
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
5
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
4
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
5
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
20
Automotive Transmission Repair
9
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
3
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Boat Building
2
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
7
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
4
Business Associations
5
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
3
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
64
Civic and Social Organizations
6
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Bakeries
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
9
Commercial Photography
2
Commercial Screen Printing
5
Community Food Services
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
15
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
4
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
3
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
11
Couriers
8
Credit Unions
8
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Dental Laboratories
5
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
15
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
36
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
2
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
24
Envelope Manufacturing
2
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Planning Centers
2
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
27
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
10
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
10
Flooring Contractors
16
Florists
6
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
8
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
17
Freight Transportation Arrangement
35
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
3
Full-Service Restaurants
102
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
13
General Automotive Repair
34
General Freight Trucking, Local
36
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
25
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Glass and Glazing Contractors
6
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
2
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
17
Hardware Stores
6
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
2
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
17
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Household Appliance Stores
4
Industrial Launderers
4
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Industrial Sand Mining
1
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
44
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
43
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
6
Land Subdivision
5
Landscaping Services
43
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
10
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
95
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
7
Locksmiths
1
Mail-Order Houses
6
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Marketing Consulting Services
7
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
9
Meat Markets
2
Meat Processed from Carcasses
2
Medical Laboratories
5
Metal Can Manufacturing
2
Metal Heat Treating
4
Metal Stamping
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
8
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
1
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
6
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
25
Offices of Chiropractors
28
Offices of Dentists
60
Offices of Lawyers
34
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packing and Crating
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
10
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
2
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
18
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
3
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
8
Prepress Services
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
15
Real Estate Investment Trusts
4
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Remediation Services
3
Repossession Services
2
Residential Property Managers
23
Residential Remodelers
44
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
6
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
9
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
6
Siding Contractors
21
Sign Manufacturing
6
Site Preparation Contractors
18
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
42
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sound Recording Studios
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
6
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
12
Telecommunications Resellers
3
Temporary Help Services
19
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
8
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
10
Tobacco Stores
9
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Travel Agencies
5
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
10
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
18
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
15
Video Tape and Disc Rental
11
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
34
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
19
Women's Clothing Stores
4
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Forming a Company in Kent, Washington

It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. The primary advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Washington, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Washington. 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 are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Getting an EIN. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Kent, Washington, our information on Incorporating in Washington may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Washington.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Washington.

Raising Capital for Your Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Kent business will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Line of Credit.

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

What's Next?

Most new Kent 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.

We are here to help Kent businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Kent, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Kent, Washington

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

More Business Startup Guides for Washington

Starting a Business in Kennewick
Starting a Business in Kingston

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

 

 

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