Kansas Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Olathe, Kansas

Contemplating starting a business in Olathe, Kansas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Olathe.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Olathe. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free 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 Dock Materials & Supplies Business guide or our How to Start a Window Glass Coating & Tinting Business guide.

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

Olathe, Kansas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9418
5-9 Employees
2976
10-19 Employees
2328
20-49 Employees
1638
50-99 Employees
540
100-249 Employees
234
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
24
All Olathe Businesses
17236

As a new Olathe entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Olathe 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
Amusement Arcades
4
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
7
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
17
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
31
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
17
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
3
Breweries
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
8
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
9
Caterers
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
7
Child Day Care Services
28
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Photography
3
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer and Software Stores
7
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
25
Computer Terminal Manufacturing
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
3
Consumer Lending
5
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
25
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
5
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
5
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
18
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
46
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
6
Employment Placement Agencies
5
Environmental Consulting Services
6
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
4
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
10
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
31
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
17
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
10
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
2
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
16
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Full-Service Restaurants
70
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
11
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Glass and Glazing Contractors
6
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
7
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
6
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
3
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
5
Industrial Building Construction
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
52
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
5
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
5
Janitorial Services
37
Jewelry Stores
6
Land Subdivision
5
Landscaping Services
47
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
73
Limousine Service
3
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
5
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
9
Masonry Contractors
12
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
4
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
6
Motor Vehicle Towing
6
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
8
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
10
New Housing Operative Builders
19
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
13
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Dentists
37
Offices of Lawyers
52
Offices of Optometrists
11
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
38
Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
9
Photography Studios, Portrait
12
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
4
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
1
Real Estate Credit
7
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
2
Residential Property Managers
15
Residential Remodelers
34
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
14
Savings Institutions
7
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
Schiffli Machine Embroidery
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
9
Shoe Stores
12
Siding Contractors
7
Site Preparation Contractors
17
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
9
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Tax Preparation Services
10
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Telephone Answering Services
2
Temporary Help Services
7
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
8
Tobacco Stores
3
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Travel Agencies
6
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
5
Veterinary Services
15
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
50
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
15
Women's Clothing Stores
14
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Olathe Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Kansas. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Olathe.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Mistakes. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Kansas.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Olathe, Kansas, you should check out some of the learning programs at local Kansas educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Olathe networking organizations.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Olathe. 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.

We are here to help Olathe businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Olathe 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 Olathe, Kansas

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

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