Missouri Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Poplar Bluff, Missouri

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most startup businesses do not succeed, in part because the founder did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Poplar Bluff. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Trailer Equipment & Parts Commercial Business guide or our Opening a Wedding Consultants Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Poplar Bluff. Some businesses will do better in Poplar Bluff than others. Make sure you fully understand Poplar Bluff demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1869
5-9 Employees
654
10-19 Employees
414
20-49 Employees
237
50-99 Employees
96
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
6
1000+ Employees
6
All Poplar Bluff Businesses
3330

As a new Poplar Bluff entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Poplar Bluff 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
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
3
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
11
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
2
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
11
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
9
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Credit Unions
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
6
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
7
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
4
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
19
Furniture Stores
5
General Automotive Repair
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
5
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
2
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Home Centers
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
9
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
5
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
12
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
2
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
29
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
3
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Meat Markets
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
7
Offices of Dentists
20
Offices of Lawyers
21
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Quick Printing
1
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
11
Roofing Contractors
1
Sawmills
4
Securities Brokerage
5
Shoe Stores
4
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Solid Waste Collection
8
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
4
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
14
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
3

Choosing a Company Name

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Poplar Bluff, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another Missouri business.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Poplar Bluff business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Billboard Advertising Costs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

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

With your business being located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Missouri universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Poplar Bluff networking organizations.

Moving Forward

Most new Poplar Bluff 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.

We are here to help Poplar Bluff businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Poplar Bluff, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Poplar Bluff, Missouri

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

More Startup Articles for Missouri Cities

Starting a Business in Pleasant Hill
Starting a Business in Portageville

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Missouri
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary