Thinking about starting a business in Springfield, Missouri? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Springfield.
Before quitting your day job, 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.
Springfield has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Springfield demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Springfield.
As a new Springfield entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Springfield 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 |
Adhesive Manufacturing
|
1 |
Advertising Agencies
|
25 |
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
|
1 |
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
|
1 |
Ambulance Services
|
2 |
Amusement and Theme Parks
|
1 |
Amusement Arcades
|
2 |
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
|
4 |
Apprenticeship Training
|
1 |
Architectural Services
|
41 |
Armored Car Services
|
3 |
Art Dealers
|
1 |
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
|
2 |
Automobile Driving Schools
|
1 |
Automobile Manufacturing
|
3 |
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
|
11 |
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
|
10 |
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
|
47 |
Automotive Transmission Repair
|
6 |
Baked Goods Stores
|
2 |
Barber Shops
|
3 |
Beauty Salons
|
86 |
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
|
4 |
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
|
22 |
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
|
1 |
Blood and Organ Banks
|
3 |
Boat Dealers
|
5 |
Book Publishers
|
3 |
Book Stores
|
15 |
Bowling Centers
|
5 |
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
|
2 |
Building Inspection Services
|
4 |
Business Associations
|
11 |
Business to Business Electronic Markets
|
4 |
Cable and Other Program Distribution
|
6 |
Cafeterias
|
8 |
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
|
1 |
Canvas and Related Product Mills
|
2 |
Car Washes
|
27 |
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
|
8 |
Caterers
|
3 |
Cemeteries and Crematories
|
6 |
Cheese Manufacturing
|
1 |
Child and Youth Services
|
11 |
Child Day Care Services
|
51 |
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
|
9 |
Civic and Social Organizations
|
31 |
Claims Adjusting
|
11 |
Clothing Accessories Stores
|
8 |
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
|
12 |
Collection Agencies
|
15 |
Commercial Bakeries
|
1 |
Commercial Flexographic Printing
|
1 |
Commercial Lithographic Printing
|
23 |
Commercial Photography
|
4 |
Commercial Screen Printing
|
8 |
Commodity Contracts Dealing
|
2 |
Community Food Services
|
5 |
Computer and Software Stores
|
11 |
Computer Facilities Management Services
|
2 |
Computer Systems Design Services
|
19 |
Computer Training
|
1 |
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
|
3 |
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
|
1 |
Confectionery and Nut Stores
|
4 |
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
Consumer Lending
|
26 |
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
|
4 |
Convenience Stores
|
7 |
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
|
2 |
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
|
1 |
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
|
4 |
Couriers
|
21 |
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
|
4 |
Credit Bureaus
|
2 |
Credit Unions
|
14 |
Curtain and Drapery Mills
|
1 |
Custom Computer Programming Services
|
21 |
Dental Laboratories
|
10 |
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
|
11 |
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
|
6 |
Digital Printing
|
1 |
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
|
8 |
Direct Mail Advertising
|
3 |
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
|
3 |
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
|
2 |
Discount Department Stores
|
7 |
Display Advertising
|
6 |
Document Preparation Services
|
7 |
Drafting Services
|
5 |
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
|
1 |
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
|
45 |
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
|
22 |
Educational Support Services
|
1 |
Electric Power Distribution
|
2 |
Electrical Contractors
|
46 |
Electronic Auctions
|
1 |
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
|
1 |
Electronic Shopping
|
8 |
Elementary and Secondary Schools
|
7 |
Emergency and Other Relief Services
|
1 |
Employment Placement Agencies
|
5 |
Engineering Services
|
42 |
Environmental Consulting Services
|
4 |
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
|
7 |
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
|
11 |
Facilities Support Services
|
3 |
Family Clothing Stores
|
24 |
Family Planning Centers
|
2 |
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
|
1 |
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
|
7 |
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
|
1 |
Fine Arts Schools
|
4 |
Finish Carpentry Contractors
|
28 |
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
|
26 |
Floor Covering Stores
|
18 |
Flooring Contractors
|
10 |
Florists
|
15 |
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
|
1 |
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
|
12 |
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
|
1 |
Food Service Contractors
|
13 |
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
|
3 |
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
|
4 |
Framing Contractors
|
24 |
Freight Transportation Arrangement
|
17 |
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
|
1 |
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
|
1 |
Full-Service Restaurants
|
189 |
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
|
9 |
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
|
7 |
Furniture Stores
|
42 |
General Automotive Repair
|
77 |
General Freight Trucking, Local
|
21 |
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
|
4 |
General Rental Centers
|
9 |
General Warehousing and Storage
|
9 |
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
|
42 |
Glass and Glazing Contractors
|
3 |
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
|
5 |
Grantmaking Foundations
|
4 |
Graphic Design Services
|
18 |
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
|
1 |
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
|
7 |
Hardware Stores
|
9 |
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
|
1 |
Heating Oil Dealers
|
1 |
Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing
|
1 |
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
|
19 |
Home Centers
|
5 |
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
|
5 |
Home Health Care Services
|
23 |
Home Health Equipment Rental
|
5 |
Homes for the Elderly
|
10 |
Household Appliance Stores
|
16 |
Human Rights Organizations
|
2 |
Ice Manufacturing
|
1 |
Industrial Building Construction
|
3 |
Industrial Launderers
|
6 |
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
|
1 |
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
|
206 |
Interior Design Services
|
11 |
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
|
1 |
Internet Service Providers
|
7 |
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
|
1 |
Investigation Services
|
4 |
Investment Advice
|
13 |
Janitorial Services
|
45 |
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
|
1 |
Jewelry Stores
|
26 |
Junior Colleges
|
1 |
Kidney Dialysis Centers
|
1 |
Land Subdivision
|
17 |
Landscape Architectural Services
|
2 |
Landscaping Services
|
74 |
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
|
12 |
Libraries and Archives
|
1 |
Lime Manufacturing
|
1 |
Limited-Service Restaurants
|
205 |
Limousine Service
|
3 |
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
|
4 |
Locksmiths
|
4 |
Logging
|
1 |
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
|
1 |
Machine Shops
|
12 |
Mail-Order Houses
|
10 |
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
|
8 |
Marinas
|
1 |
Marketing Consulting Services
|
13 |
Masonry Contractors
|
37 |
Mattress Manufacturing
|
2 |
Meat Markets
|
2 |
Meat Processed from Carcasses
|
1 |
Media Buying Agencies
|
1 |
Media Representatives
|
4 |
Medical Laboratories
|
10 |
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
|
1 |
Men's Clothing Stores
|
8 |
Metal Stamping
|
2 |
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
|
8 |
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
|
3 |
Miscellaneous Intermediation
|
4 |
Mobile Food Services
|
5 |
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
|
15 |
Motion Picture and Video Production
|
9 |
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
|
1 |
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
|
7 |
Motor Vehicle Towing
|
8 |
Motorcycle Dealers
|
10 |
Museums
|
6 |
Music Publishers
|
2 |
Musical Groups and Artists
|
6 |
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
|
6 |
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
|
2 |
Nail Salons
|
3 |
New Car Dealers
|
26 |
New Housing Operative Builders
|
22 |
Newspaper Publishers
|
6 |
Nonresidential Property Managers
|
12 |
Nursing Care Facilities
|
17 |
Office Administrative Services
|
13 |
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
|
9 |
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
|
10 |
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
|
3 |
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
|
57 |
Offices of Chiropractors
|
33 |
Offices of Dentists
|
115 |
Offices of Lawyers
|
195 |
Offices of Optometrists
|
12 |
Offices of Other Holding Companies
|
6 |
Offices of Podiatrists
|
2 |
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
|
24 |
One-Hour Photofinishing
|
2 |
Optical Goods Stores
|
17 |
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
|
8 |
Packaging and Labeling Services
|
1 |
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
|
1 |
Packing and Crating
|
2 |
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
|
2 |
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
|
10 |
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
35 |
Parking Lots and Garages
|
1 |
Passenger Car Rental
|
5 |
Payroll Services
|
4 |
Periodical Publishers
|
11 |
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
|
1 |
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
|
9 |
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
|
9 |
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
|
2 |
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
|
31 |
Photography Studios, Portrait
|
20 |
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
|
1 |
Plate Work Manufacturing
|
3 |
Political Organizations
|
8 |
Portfolio Management
|
5 |
Poultry Processing
|
3 |
Prepress Services
|
2 |
Private Mail Centers
|
11 |
Professional Employer Organizations
|
3 |
Professional Organizations
|
8 |
Public Relations Agencies
|
1 |
Quick Printing
|
4 |
Radio Networks
|
2 |
Radio Stations
|
12 |
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
|
1 |
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
|
4 |
Real Estate Credit
|
25 |
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
|
2 |
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
|
1 |
Remediation Services
|
4 |
Repossession Services
|
1 |
Residential Property Managers
|
35 |
Residential Remodelers
|
40 |
Retail Bakeries
|
4 |
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
|
4 |
Roofing Contractors
|
21 |
Rooming and Boarding Houses
|
6 |
Sales Financing
|
5 |
Savings Institutions
|
14 |
Sawmills
|
1 |
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
|
3 |
School and Employee Bus Transportation
|
1 |
Securities Brokerage
|
47 |
Security Guards and Patrol Services
|
11 |
Septic Tank and Related Services
|
1 |
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
|
6 |
Shoe Stores
|
26 |
Siding Contractors
|
9 |
Sign Manufacturing
|
10 |
Site Preparation Contractors
|
12 |
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
|
1 |
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
|
44 |
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
|
1 |
Soft Drink Manufacturing
|
1 |
Software Publishers
|
4 |
Solid Waste Collection
|
7 |
Solid Waste Landfill
|
1 |
Sound Recording Studios
|
2 |
Special Needs Transportation
|
3 |
Sporting Goods Stores
|
25 |
Sports and Recreation Instruction
|
14 |
Sports Teams and Clubs
|
1 |
Storage Battery Manufacturing
|
1 |
Tax Preparation Services
|
22 |
Taxi Service
|
2 |
Telecommunications Resellers
|
2 |
Telemarketing Bureaus
|
7 |
Telephone Answering Services
|
2 |
Television Broadcasting
|
4 |
Temporary Help Services
|
22 |
Temporary Shelters
|
3 |
Testing Laboratories
|
6 |
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
|
6 |
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
|
6 |
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
Tire Dealers
|
23 |
Tire Retreading
|
3 |
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
|
14 |
Tobacco Stores
|
6 |
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
|
2 |
Tour Operators
|
2 |
Tradebinding and Related Work
|
1 |
Translation and Interpretation Services
|
1 |
Travel Agencies
|
15 |
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
|
1 |
Used Car Dealers
|
52 |
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
|
12 |
Used Merchandise Stores
|
26 |
Vending Machine Operators
|
5 |
Veterinary Services
|
25 |
Video Tape and Disc Rental
|
24 |
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
|
9 |
Voluntary Health Organizations
|
7 |
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
|
5 |
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
|
1 |
Web Search Portals
|
1 |
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
|
34 |
Window Treatment Stores
|
2 |
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
|
23 |
Women's Clothing Stores
|
40 |
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
|
3 |
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
|
1 |
Wood Preservation
|
1 |
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
|
2 |
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
|
1 |
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.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Springfield, it's very important that you make sure no Missouri company has already registered the company name you have selected.
Obtaining startup financing for your Springfield business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
To grow your Springfield business, you need a solid marketing plan.
We have some useful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Marketing Basics is a good read to get your marketing thoughts flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Springfield entrepreneurs.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Springfield. 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 Springfield and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Springfield entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Springfield.