Iowa Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Urbandale, Iowa

Are you starting a business in Urbandale, Iowa? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Urbandale.

Urbandale, Iowa Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2066
5-9 Employees
750
10-19 Employees
561
20-49 Employees
510
50-99 Employees
150
100-249 Employees
84
250-499 Employees
15
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
0
All Urbandale Businesses
4139

As a new Urbandale entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Urbandale 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
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
1
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
24
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Book Stores
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
14
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
7
Caterers
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
8
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Claims Adjusting
3
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
2
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
4
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
21
Computer Training
1
Consumer Lending
10
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
14
Dental Laboratories
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
8
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
1
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
12
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
15
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
7
Family Clothing Stores
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
5
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
6
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
12
General Automotive Repair
9
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
5
Graphic Design Services
5
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
6
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
47
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
1
Janitorial Services
8
Junior Colleges
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
9
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
27
Locksmiths
1
Mail-Order Houses
5
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Masonry Contractors
5
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Motion Picture and Video Production
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
New Car Dealers
8
New Housing Operative Builders
6
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
7
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Chiropractors
10
Offices of Lawyers
12
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
4
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Political Organizations
1
Prepress Services
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
3
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
4
Real Estate Credit
14
Residential Remodelers
11
Roofing Contractors
4
Sales Financing
5
Savings Institutions
5
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
7
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
4
Sound Recording Studios
2
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Tax Preparation Services
4
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
2
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
5
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
24
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
7
Women's Clothing Stores
3

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Urbandale, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including How Franchises Work. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include The Palms Tanning Resort and Made In Japan Teriyaki Experience. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.

Note on Urbandale Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Urbandale, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Picking a Business Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Urbandale, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another Iowa business.

Forming a Company in Urbandale, Iowa

It's very important that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.

When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as 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 Iowa, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Iowa. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Urbandale, Iowa, our web page covering Incorporating in Iowa may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Iowa.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read The Art of the Executive Summary. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Iowa.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Urbandale business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Urbandale, Iowa, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Iowa universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Urbandale entrepreneurs.

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Urbandale, Iowa

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

  • Resources for Urbandale, Iowa Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Urbandale entrepreneurs.
  • Iowa Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Iowa.
  • Iowa Small Business Development Center - The Iowa SBDC conducts research, counsels, and trains business people in management, financing, and operating small businesses. They provide comprehensive information services and access to experts in a variety of fields. This is a great resource for Iowa entrepreneurs!

More Startup Articles for Iowa Cities

Starting a Business in Tripoli
Starting a Business in Villisca

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Iowa
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