Missouri at a glance
| Time zone | Central Time |
|---|---|
| Main area codes | 314 and 557 (St. Louis), 636 (St. Charles and the outer St. Louis area), 816 and 975 (Kansas City), 417 (Springfield and the Ozarks), 573 and 235 (Columbia, Jefferson City and Southeast Missouri), 660 (North and West Missouri) |
| Largest cities | Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, Independence |
| Sectors with the most small employers | health care, repair and personal services, construction and the trades, professional services, retail shops (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 profile) |
| Call-recording consent | One-party consent (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 542.402) |
Small business in Missouri
Missouri's small businesses range from healthcare and home-service companies in St. Louis and Kansas City to tourism and entertainment businesses around Branson and the Lake of the Ozarks, university-related shops in Columbia, and farm and equipment businesses across rural counties. Both big metros straddle a state line, Illinois for St. Louis and Kansas for Kansas City.
According to the SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 profile of Missouri, the sectors with the most small employers are health care, including medical, dental and therapy offices, repair and personal services such as auto repair, salons and dry cleaners, construction and the trades, professional services such as law, accounting, engineering and consulting and retail shops.
Where Ava helps Missouri businesses
- Two-state metros. St. Louis businesses also serve Illinois callers, where secret recording is restricted. Ava's greeting can include a recording notice so one script works for everyone.
- Ozarks tourism. Branson shows, lake rentals and marinas can send peak-season calls to Ava for booking requests.
- Healthcare and home services. Clinics and HVAC or plumbing companies can have Ava handle overflow and after-hours calls.
Industry pages that match Missouri's most common small businesses:
An example call
Gateway Garage Doors (example) · Ava, AI receptionist
Our garage door spring snapped and the car's stuck inside
I'm sorry. I'll mark this for the on-call tech. What's the address in St. Louis County?
Recording calls in Missouri
One-party consent. Missouri Revised Statutes § 542.402 prohibits intercepting a wire communication but exempts a person who is a party or has one party's prior consent, unless the purpose is criminal or tortious. Phone calls follow a one-party rule.
Missouri businesses often get calls from Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee and Kentucky. Of those, Illinois requires all-party consent or has unsettled rules, which is one more reason to give a notice at the start.
Ava always says she's an AI. If your setup records calls, the script we draft adds a short recording notice to her greeting, and you approve the wording. Interstate calls can be tricky; see the state-by-state overview.
Time zones and after-hours coverage
Missouri runs on Central Time. We set Ava's business-hours and after-hours scripts to your local Missouri time, so early-morning and late-night callers still reach someone.
How setup works from New Jersey
A short call about how your Missouri business handles the phone, a script you approve, test calls, then call forwarding from your 314, 636, 816, 417, 573 or 660 number. See how it works.
Sources
- Justia 50-state recording survey (reviewed Sept. 2024)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2511
- SBA Office of Advocacy: Missouri 2025 Small Business Profile (PDF)
- 49 CFR Part 71 (time zones)
General information, not legal advice. Checked November 3, 2026; laws change.