Thinking about starting a business in Charleston, West Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Charleston.
Most startup ventures don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
Charleston has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Charleston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Charleston.
As a new Charleston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Charleston 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 |
| Advertising Agencies |
7 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
6 |
| Architectural Services |
15 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
|
Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
28 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
6 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
|
Beauty Salons |
24 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Bituminous Coal Underground Mining |
3 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
|
Book Stores |
13 |
| Books Printing |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
33 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
|
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Car Washes |
12 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
6 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
5 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
9 |
| Child Day Care Services |
32 |
|
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
27 |
| Claims Adjusting |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
4 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
|
Computer and Software Stores |
8 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
9 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
4 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Consumer Lending |
7 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
6 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
6 |
|
Credit Bureaus |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
18 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
9 |
| Dance Companies |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
6 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
4 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
9 |
|
Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
4 |
| Display Advertising |
2 |
| Document Preparation Services |
6 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
42 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
|
Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
16 |
| Electrical Contractors |
23 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
4 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
42 |
|
Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
7 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
15 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
|
Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
22 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
10 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
12 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
9 |
|
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
2 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
92 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
15 |
|
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
15 |
| General Automotive Repair |
27 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
5 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
25 |
|
Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
8 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Hardware Stores |
10 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
6 |
|
Home Centers |
6 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
12 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
4 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
4 |
|
Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Inland Water Freight Transportation |
1 |
| Inland Water Passenger Transportation |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
71 |
| Interior Design Services |
6 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
|
Internet Service Providers |
3 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
5 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
21 |
| Jewelry Stores |
19 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
|
Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
16 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
19 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
142 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
3 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
|
Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
6 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
5 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
9 |
|
Meat Markets |
2 |
| Media Representatives |
3 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
10 |
| Monetary Authorities-Central Bank |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production |
3 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
6 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
4 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
4 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
4 |
|
Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
5 |
| New Car Dealers |
14 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
3 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| News Syndicates |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
5 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities |
15 |
| Office Administrative Services |
22 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
13 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
40 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
17 |
| Offices of Dentists |
76 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
223 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
13 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
5 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
5 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
6 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
11 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
|
Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
11 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
31 |
| Passenger Car Leasing |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
5 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
5 |
|
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
24 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
13 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
4 |
| Political Organizations |
5 |
|
Port and Harbor Operations |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
5 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
6 |
| Professional Organizations |
18 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
9 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
|
Racetracks |
2 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
4 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
11 |
| Remediation Services |
3 |
| Repossession Services |
3 |
| Residential Property Managers |
10 |
|
Residential Remodelers |
41 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
10 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Scheduled Freight Air Transportation |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
8 |
| Securities Brokerage |
22 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services |
6 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
19 |
| Siding Contractors |
6 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
23 |
| Small Arms Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
16 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
12 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
2 |
|
Support Activities for Coal Mining |
2 |
| Support Activities for Metal Mining |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
10 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
4 |
|
Temporary Help Services |
23 |
| Temporary Shelters |
6 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
15 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
6 |
|
Tour Operators |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
10 |
| Veterinary Services |
12 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
10 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
13 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
6 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
11 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
15 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
30 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
27 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
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 need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Charleston, it's imperative that you check now that no other West Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in West Virginia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in West Virginia. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Registered Agents. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Charleston, West Virginia, our information on Incorporating in West Virginia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in West Virginia.
Getting your Charleston 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.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled How Equity Dilution Works.
Whether your goal is to attract Charleston customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
Most new Charleston 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 Charleston and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Charleston entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Charleston.
