Kansas Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Oberlin, Kansas
Contemplating starting a business in Oberlin, Kansas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Oberlin.
Oberlin, Kansas Demographic Information
Oberlin has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Oberlin demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Oberlin.
Businesses
As a new Oberlin entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Oberlin 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
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Oberlin, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Tedeschi Food Shops, Inc. and The Dinner A' Fare. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Auto Repair Franchises and Print and Sign Franchises.
Note on Oberlin Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Oberlin.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Oberlin, it's critical that you ensure that no other Kansas company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Oberlin, Kansas
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
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 Kansas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Kansas. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Dissolving a Corporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Oberlin, Kansas, our information on Incorporating in Kansas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Kansas.
Raising Funding for Your Startup
Getting your Oberlin business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Oberlin entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Kansas Angel Investors and our List of Kansas Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Oberlin business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Mastering the Complex Sale offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Oberlin, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Oberlin and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Oberlin, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Oberlin, Kansas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Oberlin.
- Resources for Oberlin, Kansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Oberlin 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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