Ohio Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Wapakoneta, Ohio

Contemplating starting a business in Wapakoneta, Ohio? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Wapakoneta.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Most startup businesses fail, in part because the business owner did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Wapakoneta. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • 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. 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.

Wapakoneta, Ohio Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
587
5-9 Employees
243
10-19 Employees
180
20-49 Employees
102
50-99 Employees
36
100-249 Employees
15
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Wapakoneta Businesses
1166

As a new Wapakoneta entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wapakoneta 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
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Beauty Salons
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Caterers
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Claims Adjusting
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Consumer Lending
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Florists
4
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
13
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
4
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hardware Stores
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Household Appliance Stores
2
Industrial Launderers
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
14
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Jewelry Stores
1
Land Subdivision
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
10
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
6
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Dentists
5
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Savings Institutions
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Temporary Shelters
1
Tire Dealers
1
Travel Agencies
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
4
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Naming the Company

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Wapakoneta, it's imperative that you check now that no other Ohio company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Wapakoneta, Ohio

It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Wapakoneta, Ohio, our information on Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Wapakoneta business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Wapakoneta entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Ohio Angel Investors and our List of Ohio Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Wapakoneta business to do well.

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.

Hiring Good Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Wapakoneta, Ohio, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Wapakoneta networking organizations.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Wapakoneta 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 Wapakoneta businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Wapakoneta 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 Wapakoneta, Ohio

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

  • Resources for Wapakoneta, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Wapakoneta entrepreneurs.
  • Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
  • Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.

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