Thinking about starting a business in Blacksburg, Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Blacksburg.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Running your own business is demanding, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Blacksburg. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful 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. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
Blacksburg, Virginia Demographic Information
Blacksburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Blacksburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Blacksburg.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2900 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1092 |
| 10-19 Employees |
834 |
| 20-49 Employees |
474 |
| 50-99 Employees |
102 |
| 100-249 Employees |
66 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
12 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Blacksburg Businesses |
5492 |
As a new Blacksburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Blacksburg 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 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
6 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
10 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
5 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
4 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
3 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
14 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
23 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
4 |
| Electrical Contractors |
6 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
22 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
10 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
38 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
9 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
12 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
11 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
24 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
2 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
17 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
20 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Repossession Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
11 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
13 |
| Software Publishers |
4 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Women's Handbag and Purse Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
What About Buying an Existing Blacksburg Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Blacksburg.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Blacksburg, it's critical that you ensure that no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Blacksburg business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Blacksburg entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of Virginia Angel Investors and our List of Virginia Venture Capital Firms.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Blacksburg customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Branding Advice is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Good entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
With your business being located in Blacksburg, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any Blacksburg networking organizations.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Blacksburg, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Blacksburg and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Blacksburg, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Blacksburg, Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Blacksburg.
- Resources for Blacksburg, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Blacksburg entrepreneurs.
- Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
- Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
- Blacksburg, Virginia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Blacksburg, Virginia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Blacksburg area.
- Blacksburg, Virginia Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Blacksburg, Virginia area radio stations.
- Blacksburg, Virginia Payroll Services - This list includes Blacksburg, Virginia payroll services, national payroll services for Blacksburg, and helpful information on choosing a Blacksburg payroll service.
More Business Startup Guides for Virginia
Starting a Business in Berryville
Starting a Business in Blackstone
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Virginia
Starting a Business
Guides for Other States
