Are you starting a business in Charlottesville, Virginia? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Charlottesville.
Running your own business is hard work, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good Business Ideas.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Charlottesville. Some businesses will do better in Charlottesville than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Charlottesville demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Charlottesville has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Charlottesville demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Charlottesville.
As a new Charlottesville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Charlottesville 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
46 |
| Art Dealers |
7 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
66 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
3 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
9 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
6 |
| Book Stores |
11 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
4 |
| Business Associations |
13 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Car Washes |
6 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
9 |
| Caterers |
13 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
32 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
13 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
9 |
| Commercial Photography |
4 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
6 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
26 |
| Computer Training |
2 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
9 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
5 |
| Convenience Stores |
18 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
6 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
9 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
27 |
| Dental Laboratories |
6 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
8 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
4 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
6 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Dry Pasta Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
8 |
| Educational Support Services |
7 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
23 |
| Electronic Shopping |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
14 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
24 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
9 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
6 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
18 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
7 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
8 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
20 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
7 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
10 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
36 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
2 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
4 |
| Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
140 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
18 |
| General Automotive Repair |
30 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
27 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
12 |
| Graphic Design Services |
12 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
6 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
11 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
9 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
3 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
4 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
69 |
| Interior Design Services |
9 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
5 |
| Internet Service Providers |
5 |
| Investigation Services |
6 |
| Investment Advice |
17 |
| Janitorial Services |
33 |
| Jewelry Stores |
19 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
12 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
12 |
| Landscaping Services |
41 |
| Language Schools |
2 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
5 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
90 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
9 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
11 |
| Masonry Contractors |
16 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
9 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
12 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
7 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
4 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
4 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
5 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
14 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
12 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
9 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
7 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
17 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
8 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
33 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
18 |
| Offices of Dentists |
66 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
81 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
8 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
6 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
9 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
9 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Outerwear Knitting Mills |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
27 |
| Paper (except Newsprint) Mills |
1 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
4 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
4 |
| Payroll Services |
3 |
| Periodical Publishers |
12 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
7 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
9 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
13 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
4 |
| Portfolio Management |
26 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
8 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
11 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
23 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
3 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
25 |
| Residential Remodelers |
45 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
9 |
| Roofing Contractors |
9 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
11 |
| Sales Financing |
4 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
22 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
20 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
25 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
10 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
3 |
| Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
21 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
15 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
11 |
| Taxi Service |
3 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
10 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Textile Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
7 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
8 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
9 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
25 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
15 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
4 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
15 |
| Wineries |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
13 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
34 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
As you drive around Charlottesville, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Get More Franchisees. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Charlottesville business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Successful entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into networking organizations for Charlottesville entrepreneurs.
As an entrepreneur in Charlottesville, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Charlottesville and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Charlottesville 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 Charlottesville.
