Missouri Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Seneca, Missouri

Contemplating starting a business in Seneca, Missouri? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Seneca.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

Most startup ventures fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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 Seneca. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Seneca, Missouri Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1312
5-9 Employees
432
10-19 Employees
240
20-49 Employees
144
50-99 Employees
48
100-249 Employees
24
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Seneca Businesses
2200

As a new Seneca entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Seneca 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Florists
2
Food Service Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
3
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Janitorial Services
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Prepress Services
1
Sawmills
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Tax Preparation Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2

Forming a Company in Seneca, Missouri

It's essential that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Doing so will insulate 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.

Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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 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 Dissolving a Corporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Seneca, Missouri, our information on Incorporating in Missouri may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Missouri.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Seneca business will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Seneca entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, browse our List of Missouri Angel Investors and our List of Missouri Venture Capital Firms.

Selling Tips

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Seneca business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Selling on the Phone offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

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 Seneca, Missouri, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Missouri universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into Seneca networking organizations.

Never Give Up

Most new Seneca businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Seneca and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Seneca, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Seneca, Missouri

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

More Startup Articles for Missouri Cities

Starting a Business in Sedalia
Starting a Business in Seymour

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

 

 

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