Kansas Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Topeka, Kansas

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

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Optical Imaging Equipment & Supplies Business guide or our Opening a Social Security Attorneys Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Topeka. Some businesses will do better in Topeka than others. Don't forget to review Topeka demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Topeka, Kansas Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
19722
5-9 Employees
8106
10-19 Employees
6120
20-49 Employees
3933
50-99 Employees
1359
100-249 Employees
783
250-499 Employees
90
500-999 Employees
63
1000+ Employees
54
All Topeka Businesses
40230

As a new Topeka entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Topeka 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
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Apprenticeship Training
3
Armored Car Services
2
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
38
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
65
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
35
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Dealers
3
Book Stores
6
Bowling Centers
5
Building Inspection Services
3
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
39
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Cafeterias
8
Car Washes
13
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
7
Child and Youth Services
11
Child Day Care Services
40
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
8
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
10
Community Food Services
4
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Systems Design Services
19
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
6
Convenience Stores
7
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
10
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Dental Laboratories
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
12
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
5
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
41
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
14
Educational Support Services
3
Electric Power Distribution
5
Electrical Contractors
29
Elementary and Secondary Schools
10
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Employment Placement Agencies
4
Engineering Services
21
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
7
Family Clothing Stores
12
Family Planning Centers
3
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
13
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
14
Flight Training
1
Flooring Contractors
15
Florists
13
Flour Milling
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
8
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
9
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
102
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
12
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
General Automotive Repair
48
General Freight Trucking, Local
14
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Rental Centers
5
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
29
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Grantmaking Foundations
5
Graphic Design Services
2
Greeting Card Publishers
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
6
Heating Oil Dealers
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
5
Home Health Care Services
22
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
7
Human Rights Organizations
4
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
136
Interior Design Services
4
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Janitorial Services
35
Jewelry Stores
19
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
6
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
36
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
4
Locksmiths
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
5
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marketing Consulting Services
11
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
9
Meat Markets
2
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Media Buying Agencies
2
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
6
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
5
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
6
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
6
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
5
Nonresidential Property Managers
9
Nursing Care Facilities
15
Office Administrative Services
20
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
7
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
34
Offices of Chiropractors
19
Offices of Dentists
65
Offices of Lawyers
163
Offices of Optometrists
26
Offices of Podiatrists
9
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
3
Optical Goods Stores
12
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paging
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
7
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
24
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Passenger Car Rental
1
Periodical Publishers
6
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
15
Photography Studios, Portrait
16
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
1
Political Organizations
5
Portfolio Management
7
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Organizations
25
Public Relations Agencies
12
Quick Printing
4
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
5
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
8
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
4
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
40
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
16
Rooming and Boarding Houses
4
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
7
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
6
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
19
Siding Contractors
11
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
21
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
3
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Special Needs Transportation
5
Sporting Goods Stores
12
Sports and Recreation Instruction
9
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Taxi Service
3
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
4
Temporary Help Services
17
Temporary Shelters
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
22
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
1
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
6
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
4
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
28
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
22
Veterinary Services
22
Video Tape and Disc Rental
9
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6
Voluntary Health Organizations
6
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
13
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
21
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2

Should You Franchise?

Visit the business district of Topeka and it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Rent-n-Roll and Data Doctors. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Healthcare Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.

Note on Topeka Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Topeka.

The Role of the Business Plan

Having a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Kansas.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Topeka customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Business Logo Design discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

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

Given that you are starting a business in Topeka, 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 Topeka networking organizations.

What's Next?

Most new Topeka businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Topeka and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Topeka, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Topeka, Kansas

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

More Startup Articles for Kansas Cities

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Browse All Business Startup Guides for Kansas
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