Missouri Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Lees Summit, Missouri

Thinking about starting a business in Lees Summit, Missouri? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lees Summit.

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

Before quitting your day job, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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 Lees Summit. 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.

Lees Summit, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3856
5-9 Employees
1230
10-19 Employees
831
20-49 Employees
576
50-99 Employees
183
100-249 Employees
114
250-499 Employees
15
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
3
All Lees Summit Businesses
6817

As a new Lees Summit entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lees Summit 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 Arcades
3
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
6
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
10
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
35
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
1
Bowling Centers
2
Breweries
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
4
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
4
Caterers
7
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
23
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
6
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Computer Systems Design Services
16
Consumer Lending
6
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
5
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
31
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Digital Printing
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
5
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
8
Dry Pasta Manufacturing
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
15
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
30
Electronic Shopping
3
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
29
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
5
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
21
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
15
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
8
Flooring Contractors
10
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Full-Service Restaurants
50
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
9
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
2
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
1
Human Rights Organizations
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
63
Interior Design Services
6
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
5
Janitorial Services
22
Jewelry Stores
10
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
44
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
48
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
2
Mail-Order Houses
4
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
9
Masonry Contractors
11
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
19
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
2
New Car Dealers
6
New Housing Operative Builders
22
Newspaper Publishers
5
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Administrative Services
5
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
17
Offices of Chiropractors
16
Offices of Dentists
46
Offices of Lawyers
34
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
5
Passenger Car Rental
2
Payroll Services
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Portfolio Management
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
15
Residential Remodelers
34
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
10
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
8
Securities Brokerage
13
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Siding Contractors
6
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
12
Software Publishers
3
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Tax Preparation Services
5
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
10
Testing Laboratories
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
1
Tour Operators
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
35
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Lees Summit Business?

We've created a helpful 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 Lees Summit.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Forming a Company in Lees Summit, Missouri

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

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

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. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Lees Summit, Missouri, our information on Incorporating in Missouri may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Missouri.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. 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 Find Sample Business Plans Online. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Missouri.

Raising Capital for Your Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Lees Summit business is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Lees Summit entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.

Now It's Up To You

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Lees Summit and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Lees Summit, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lees Summit, Missouri

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Missouri

Starting a Business in Lee's Summit
Starting a Business in Lexington

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