If you own a company and are considering relocating to Lawrence KS, you’re in for a treat. This community welcomes businesses of all shapes and sizes, providing a hub of commerce and development that can shape the future of your business.
Tackling a business move anywhere can come with a lot of stress, challenges and frustrations. But not when you partner with a moving company that’s skilled in office moves in and around Lawrence KS like Moving Proz.
First, a bit about Lawrence itself. The county seat of Douglas County, this sixth largest city in the state sits by Interstate 70 between the Wakarusa and Kansas rivers. With a population of 96,000, Lawrence is largely a college town but is also known as an economy diversified climate encompassing a multitude of industries. These industries range from agriculture to education to manufacturing.
1. Startups
If you’re interested in starting up a brand new company, Lawrence is the place to do it. Inc. magazine nationally ranked Lawrence 28th on its list of “50 Best Small Metro Areas” in 2000 based on continued growth rates as well as local business start-ups in the previous decade. More recently, Lawrence was ranked 17th in the nation by Forbes magazine as one of the “Best Small Places for Business and Careers.” This is a good sign that the locally owned small business population in this community does very well for itself.
Lawrence has a way of uniquely supporting the dynamic and robust small business culture.
2. Golf
After a long day’s work, or even as part of a business meeting, many companies like to hit the links to blow off steam. If you own a business in this area, it’s good to know that Lawrence features two golf courses: Eagle Bend (18 holes) and the Jayhawk Club (27 holes). Eagle Bend actually hosted the 2000 American Junior Golf Association Championship.
3. Community Development Activism
The Lawrence KS Chamber, in an effort to jumpstart the local economy, is embracing community development activism in collaboration with the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence and Douglas County (EDC), USD 497, the Bioscience and Technology Business Center (BTBC), and the KU Small Business Development Center. There are many projects they are working on, including:
- Lawrence VenturePark, an industrial site on K-10 Highway.
- Continued support of The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center to boost workforce development efforts.
- Expansion of the Bioscience & Technology Business Center (BTBC) to offer more lab space to bioscience and technology companies.
- Allocation of resources for start-ups and entrepreneurs, including the Metro E-Community gap fund loan program.
4. Mass Street
Home to one of the most vibrant downtown areas around, Lawrence is known for its shopping, dining and entertainment districts, some of the best in the Midwest in fact. Massachusetts Street – or “Mass” Street for short – is one of the prettiest main streets in America. If you’re in the retail, restaurant or bar business, this where you will want to focus your attention in terms of setting up shop.
Mass Street snakes through the central business district of the downtown area, starting at the Kansas River at Sixth Street and running until it hits Haskell Indian Nations University. It was called the most popular tourist attraction in Kansas in 2014 by Trip Advisor.
5. Best Companies to Work For
According to Zippia, the top companies to work for in Lawrence KS in terms of salaries, company financial health, and employee diversity include:
- The University of Kansas
- Gene Fritzel Construction Co.
- Amarr
- Lawrence Memorial Hospital
- Laird Noller Automotive
- Douglas County Kansas
- Meritrust Credit Union
- Kansas Corp Commission
- Cobalt Iron
- Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center
- Water’s Edge
- KU Memorial Union
- Allen Press
- KU Bookstore
- University Daily Kansan
- The Merc Co Op
- Lawrence Presbyterian Manor
- Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
- KU Endowment
6. Help From the University of Kansas Small Business Development Center
The mission of the University of Kansas Small Business Development Center is to establish and support small businesses in Kansas, all for free. The KSBDC works in partnership with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Kansas Department of Commerce, funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The Lawrence office also gets funding from the University Of Kansas School Of Business, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and some small grants. The center guides up to 50 new business developments each year. You’d be wise to take advantage of these offerings if you’re looking to start up your business in Lawrence KS.
7. Wide Candidate Pool
Lawrence boasts two universities: the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. KU is one of the most beautiful campuses in America and Haskell Indian Nations University is the country’s only inter-tribal university for Native Americans, which represents 150 tribes from around the nation. By having such prestigious colleges right in your backyard, you can be assured of a well-educated pool of candidates who will apply for work at your company.
Additionally, it’s comforting to know that Lawrence was ranked #6 in the country by the U.S. Census for per capita bachelor degree attainment.
In conclusion, to get more information as a new or expanding business in Lawrence, check out the City of Lawrence Kansas website specifically geared toward businesses. Here, you can find information for investors, current topics, forms, building permits, city codes, drinking establishment applications, street vendor licenses, zoning, historic preservation, comprehensive land use plans, maps, bid results, City Commission meeting information, and much more.
Contact Moving Proz in Lawrence KS
One of our three convenient office locations can be found right here in Lawrence. To get a free quote on your commercial move, please contact us at 785-201-9195. Rest assured, we have many years of experience in moving businesses like yours into Lawrence KS smoothly and without incident.