Oklahoma Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Thinking about starting a business in Tahlequah, Oklahoma? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Tahlequah.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, 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 Tahlequah. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Tahlequah, Oklahoma Demographic Information
Tahlequah has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Tahlequah demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Tahlequah.
Businesses
As a new Tahlequah entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Tahlequah 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
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Tahlequah, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Multi-Unit Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Nutrilawn, Inc. and Cash Now Neighborhood Financial Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Restaurant Services Franchises and Florist Franchises.
Note on Tahlequah Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Tahlequah.
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Tahlequah, it's very important that you make sure no other Oklahoma company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Oklahoma.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To rise above the crowd in Tahlequah and advance your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Getting Publicity is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Tahlequah. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Tahlequah businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Tahlequah entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Tahlequah.
- Resources for Tahlequah, Oklahoma Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Tahlequah entrepreneurs.
- Oklahoma Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma Small Business Development Center - Whether you are in business or thinking about it, the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center staff can assist you. Their goal is to help Oklahoma entrepreneurs like you be more successful.
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