Iowa Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Altoona, Iowa

Need help starting a business in Altoona, Iowa? We've got the information you need to open a business in Altoona.

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Most startup businesses don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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 Altoona. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Gold Leaf Business guide or our Starting a Plumbers Business guide.

Remember that your new business will be in Altoona. Some businesses will do better in Altoona than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Altoona demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Altoona, Iowa Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2358
5-9 Employees
1182
10-19 Employees
900
20-49 Employees
504
50-99 Employees
108
100-249 Employees
198
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
18
All Altoona Businesses
5286

As a new Altoona entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Altoona 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Beauty Salons
7
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Couriers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Engineering Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
4
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
8
General Automotive Repair
5
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Janitorial Services
6
Landscaping Services
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
14
Locksmiths
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Professional Organizations
1
Racetracks
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Roofing Contractors
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Siding Contractors
1
Silverware and Hollowware Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Altoona, 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?

We highly recommend you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Detecting Franchising Scams. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Service Team of Professionals and Larry's Giant Subs. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Blind Repair and Sales Franchises and Family Restaurant Franchises.

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

Letting the World Know You Exist

To grow your Altoona business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Technology Marketing discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Altoona business to do well.

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Mastering the Complex Sale is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

What's Next?

Most new Altoona 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Altoona and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Altoona 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 Altoona, Iowa

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

  • Resources for Altoona, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Altoona entrepreneurs.
  • Iowa Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Iowa.
  • Iowa Small Business Development Center - The Iowa SBDC conducts research, counsels, and trains business people in management, financing, and operating small businesses. They provide comprehensive information services and access to experts in a variety of fields. This is a great resource for Iowa entrepreneurs!

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