Missouri Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Canton, Missouri
Need help starting a business in Canton, Missouri? We've got the information you need to open a business in Canton.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.
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 Starting an Antique Art Nouveau & Art Deco Dealership guide or our Starting a Contractors' Referral & Information Services Business guide.
Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Canton. Some businesses will do better in Canton than others. Study Canton demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Canton, Missouri Demographic Information
Canton has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Canton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Canton.
Businesses
As a new Canton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Canton 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Canton and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
Our recommendation is that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Pepe's Mexican Restaurants and Elite Senior Care. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dry Cleaning & Laundry Franchises and Kid Friendly Franchises.
Note on Canton Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Canton.
Naming the Company
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Canton, it's critical that you ensure that no other Missouri company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Canton, Missouri
It's very important that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be 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 Missouri, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Missouri. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. 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. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Incorporating Online. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Canton, Missouri, our information on Incorporating in Missouri may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Missouri.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Canton business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Canton entrepreneurs who need startup capital, we have assembled a List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Canton business, you need to focus on sales.
Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Mastering the Complex Sale 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.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Canton, 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Canton and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Canton, Missouri
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Canton.
- Resources for Canton, Missouri Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Canton entrepreneurs.
- Missouri Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Missouri.
- Missouri Small Business Development Center - Missouri Small Business Development Center business specialists are uniquely qualified to help small businesses get started, develop and thrive.
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