Kansas Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Overland Park, Kansas

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

Do You Have What It Takes?

Before quitting your day job, assess 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.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Overland Park. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Overland Park, Kansas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9720
5-9 Employees
3141
10-19 Employees
2240
20-49 Employees
1806
50-99 Employees
669
100-249 Employees
423
250-499 Employees
132
500-999 Employees
48
1000+ Employees
9
All Overland Park Businesses
18188

As a new Overland Park entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Overland Park 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
5
Architectural Services
29
Art Dealers
6
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
4
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
81
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
29
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
5
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
3
Building Inspection Services
6
Business Associations
11
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
5
Car Washes
5
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
10
Caterers
8
Child and Youth Services
6
Child Day Care Services
27
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
8
Claims Adjusting
11
Clothing Accessories Stores
9
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
6
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
9
Commercial Photography
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
2
Computer and Software Stores
14
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
110
Computer Training
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
4
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
11
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
7
Credit Bureaus
4
Credit Card Issuing
4
Credit Unions
4
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
85
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
9
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
2
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
39
Direct Mail Advertising
7
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
15
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
3
Document Preparation Services
8
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
16
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Educational Support Services
9
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
23
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
18
Engineering Services
68
Environmental Consulting Services
16
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
6
Family Clothing Stores
24
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
15
Finish Carpentry Contractors
16
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
53
Floor Covering Stores
10
Florists
13
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
8
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
22
Full-Service Restaurants
142
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
24
General Automotive Repair
13
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Warehousing and Storage
7
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
32
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
8
Grantmaking Foundations
6
Graphic Design Services
21
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
14
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
10
Home Health Care Services
17
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
7
Household Appliance Stores
11
Industrial Design Services
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
216
Interior Design Services
6
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
11
Janitorial Services
52
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
33
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
5
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
38
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
140
Limousine Service
4
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
6
Locksmiths
5
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Mail-Order Houses
6
Marketing Consulting Services
43
Masonry Contractors
8
Meat Markets
2
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
14
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
35
Motion Picture and Video Production
13
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
5
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
12
New Housing Operative Builders
9
News Dealers and Newsstands
3
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
24
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
24
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
10
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
67
Offices of Chiropractors
27
Offices of Dentists
78
Offices of Lawyers
145
Offices of Other Holding Companies
12
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
24
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Optical Goods Stores
15
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packing and Crating
3
Paging
2
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
9
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
25
Passenger Car Rental
7
Periodical Publishers
15
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
7
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
9
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
23
Photography Studios, Portrait
18
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
23
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
8
Professional Employer Organizations
4
Professional Organizations
5
Public Relations Agencies
9
Quick Printing
4
Radio Stations
5
Real Estate Credit
72
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Reinsurance Carriers
4
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
35
Residential Remodelers
76
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
18
Savings Institutions
16
Schiffli Machine Embroidery
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
53
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
21
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
31
Software Publishers
15
Sound Recording Studios
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
22
Sports and Recreation Instruction
14
Tax Preparation Services
24
Taxi Service
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
9
Telephone Answering Services
4
Temporary Help Services
67
Testing Laboratories
5
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
12
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
29
Video Tape and Disc Rental
10
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Web Search Portals
2
Window Treatment Stores
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
60
Women's Clothing Stores
28
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Overland Park business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Overland Park entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Kansas Angel Investors and our List of Kansas Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Overland Park customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Six Tips for Getting Customer Testimonials is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Overland Park or are selling to customers throughout Kansas, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Writing Great Proposals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

The best business owners know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Overland Park, Kansas, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Kansas universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Overland Park entrepreneurs.

Now It's Up To You

You have a dream -- starting a business in Overland Park. 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 Overland Park and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Overland Park 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 Overland Park, Kansas

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

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