Missouri Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Ashland, Missouri

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ashland. Get their take on what it's really like to be 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. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Group Practice Psychologists Business guide or our How to Start a Siding Refinishing & Repair Business guide.

Don't forget that your new business will be in Ashland. Some businesses will do better in Ashland than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Ashland demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Ashland, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3128
5-9 Employees
1411
10-19 Employees
765
20-49 Employees
204
50-99 Employees
102
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ashland Businesses
5610

As a new Ashland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ashland 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
Child Day Care Services
5
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electrical Contractors
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
6
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Janitorial Services
1
Landscaping Services
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Lawyers
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Payroll Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Special Needs Transportation
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Ashland, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Protecting Your Franchise Territory. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Representative franchise opportunities include Planet Popolicious Franchises and East of Chicago Pizza Company. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Health and Diet Franchises and Ice Cream Franchises.

Note on Ashland Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Ashland, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ashland Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Missouri. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Ashland.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Obtaining startup financing for your Ashland business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Ashland entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Ashland, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Ashland businesses to be successful. 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 Ashland, Missouri

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

More Business Startup Guides for Missouri

Starting a Business in Ash Grove
Starting a Business in Aurora

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Missouri
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary