Kansas Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Manhattan, Kansas
Thinking about starting a business in Manhattan, Kansas? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Manhattan.
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 Steam Traps & Specialties Business guide or our Opening a Synthetic Rubber & Rubber Products Business guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Manhattan. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Manhattan. A critical consideration is whether Manhattan demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Manhattan, Kansas Demographic Information
Manhattan has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Manhattan demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Manhattan.
Businesses
As a new Manhattan entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Manhattan 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.
Businesses
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Manhattan, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Disadvantages of Franchise Ownership. 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.
Representative franchise opportunities include ChemStation and Motel 6 Operating L.P.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Restaurant Franchises and Donut Shop Franchises.
Note on Manhattan Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Manhattan.
Naming the Business
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.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
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 opening a business in Manhattan, it's very important that you make sure no other Kansas company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Manhattan, Kansas
It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be 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. If you are starting a business in Kansas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Kansas. In fact, you are allowed to 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 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 Nevada Incorporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Manhattan, Kansas, our information on Incorporating in Kansas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Kansas.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Kansas.
Marketing Your New Venture
To rise above the crowd in Manhattan and build your business, you need a solid marketing plan.
We have some useful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Exhibiting at Tradeshows is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Manhattan. 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Manhattan and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Manhattan, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Manhattan, Kansas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Manhattan.
- Resources for Manhattan, Kansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Manhattan entrepreneurs.
- Kansas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Kansas.
- Kansas Small Business Development Center - The KSBDC Network provides Kansas entrepreneurs and small business owners with knowledge, tools and resources to enhance their success. Contact them and they will help you identify your business needs and guide you toward opportunities and solutions.
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