Wisconsin Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

Are you starting a business in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Wisconsin Rapids.

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Wisconsin Rapids. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. 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.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at 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 Opening a Waste Management Equipment & Supplies Business guide or our Opening an Electromedical Equipment Retail Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Wisconsin Rapids has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Wisconsin Rapids. Make sure you fully understand Wisconsin Rapids demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1251
5-9 Employees
573
10-19 Employees
399
20-49 Employees
243
50-99 Employees
69
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
3
All Wisconsin Rapids Businesses
2589

As a new Wisconsin Rapids entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wisconsin Rapids 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
10
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
8
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
6
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Digital Printing
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
27
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Hardware Stores
3
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
6
Industrial Launderers
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
21
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
3
Kaolin and Ball Clay Mining
1
Landscaping Services
11
Limited-Service Restaurants
16
Limousine Service
1
Logging
3
Machine Shops
3
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Masonry Contractors
4
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
9
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
8
Offices of Dentists
12
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
2
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Quick Printing
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
6
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
5
Roofing Contractors
3
Savings Institutions
2
Securities Brokerage
5
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tire Dealers
4
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Wisconsin Rapids, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Understanding Franchise Contracts. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include 7-Eleven, Inc. and Jump 'n Play Gym. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Frozen Yogurt Franchises.

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

Forming a Company in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will separate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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 Wisconsin, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Wisconsin. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Registered Agents. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, our web page covering Incorporating in Wisconsin may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Wisconsin.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Software. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Wisconsin.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Wisconsin universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Wisconsin Rapids entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Now It's Up To You

You have a dream -- starting a business in Wisconsin Rapids. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Wisconsin Rapids and throughout the United States . We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

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

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