Starting a Business in Springfield, Missouri

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.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

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.

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Springfield. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
• You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Springfield, Missouri Demographic Information

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.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Springfield Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Missouri. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Springfield.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Company

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.

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 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.

Getting Money to Start a Business

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.

For Springfield entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

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.

Interviews With Springfield Entrepreneurs

Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Springfield entrepreneurs.

• Interview with Marlene Chism, Founder of Stop Your Drama

Never Give Up

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.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Springfield, Missouri

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

• Resources for Springfield, Missouri Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Springfield entrepreneurs.
• Missouri Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Missouri.
• Missouri Small Business Development Center - Missouri Small Business Development Center business specialists are uniquely qualified to help small businesses get started, develop and thrive.