Iowa Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Missouri Valley, Iowa

Contemplating starting a business in Missouri Valley, Iowa? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Missouri Valley.

Missouri Valley, Iowa Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
237
5-9 Employees
75
10-19 Employees
36
20-49 Employees
39
50-99 Employees
9
100-249 Employees
6
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Missouri Valley Businesses
402

As a new Missouri Valley entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Missouri Valley 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
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
6
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Hardware Stores
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
7
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Landscaping Services
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
New Car Dealers
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Residential Remodelers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
1
Travel Agencies
1
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

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.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Missouri Valley, it's imperative that you check now that no Iowa company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Startup Financing Basics

Obtaining startup financing for your Missouri Valley business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

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

For Missouri Valley entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Iowa Angel Investors and our List of Iowa Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in Missouri Valley and build your business, you need a excellent marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Conducting Sweepstakes and Contests discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Building Up Your Sales

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

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Anticipating Prospect Responses is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Missouri Valley, Iowa, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Iowa educational institutions. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Missouri Valley entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

Most new Missouri Valley 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 Missouri Valley and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Missouri Valley 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 Missouri Valley, Iowa

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

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