Iowa Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Ankeny, Iowa
Are you starting a business in Ankeny, Iowa? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Ankeny.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to start a business?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ankeny. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Ankeny, Iowa Demographic Information
Ankeny has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ankeny demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ankeny.
Businesses
As a new Ankeny entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ankeny 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.
Businesses
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Ankeny, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying an Existing 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 The Leasing Institute of America and Entrees Made Easy. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cartridge Recycling Franchises and Child Entertainment Franchises.
Note on Ankeny Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Ankeny.
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.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Ankeny, it's critical that you ensure that no other Iowa company is using the business name you want to use.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Getting your Ankeny business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Ankeny entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Iowa Angel Investors and our List of Iowa Venture Capital Firms.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Ankeny, Iowa, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Iowa educational institutions. It's also smart to see if there are any Ankeny networking organizations.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Ankeny, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Ankeny businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Ankeny 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 Ankeny, Iowa
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ankeny.
- Resources for Ankeny, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ankeny 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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