Nebraska Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Ravenna, Nebraska

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Running your own business is demanding, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you certain you want to go into business for yourself?

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 Ravenna. 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.

Ravenna, Nebraska Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
660
5-9 Employees
210
10-19 Employees
60
20-49 Employees
105
50-99 Employees
15
100-249 Employees
15
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ravenna Businesses
1065

As a new Ravenna entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ravenna 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
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
1
Cafeterias
1
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Florists
2
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
3
Janitorial Services
2
Machine Shops
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Lawyers
1
Offices of Optometrists
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Veterinary Services
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Naming the Business

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

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 Ravenna, it's critical that you ensure that no other Nebraska company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Nebraska.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Ravenna business the capital it needs to succeed 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.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as How to Raise Money.

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

Getting the Word Out About Your New Startup

To rise above the crowd in Ravenna and grow your business, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Facebook Advertising is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in Ravenna, Nebraska, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Nebraska universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Ravenna entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Ravenna, 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Ravenna and throughout the United States . 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 Ravenna, Nebraska

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

More Business Startup Guides for Nebraska

Starting a Business in Randolph
Starting a Business in Red Cloud

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Nebraska
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