West Virginia Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Gilbert, West Virginia

Thinking about starting a business in Gilbert, West Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Gilbert.

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

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:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Gilbert. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Gilbert, West Virginia Demographic Information

Gilbert has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Gilbert demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Gilbert.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1554
5-9 Employees
567
10-19 Employees
168
20-49 Employees
231
50-99 Employees
42
100-249 Employees
21
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Gilbert Businesses
2583

As a new Gilbert entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gilbert 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
Ambulance Services
2
Beauty Salons
1
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining
1
Bowling Centers
1
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
2
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
2
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
Industrial Building Construction
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Jewelry Stores
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
6
Logging
6
New Car Dealers
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Lawyers
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Quick Printing
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Sawmills
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Support Activities for Coal Mining
5
Tobacco Stores
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Gilbert, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Get More Franchisees. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Rent A Tire Canada and Straw Hat Pizza. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Gift Items Franchises and Home Furnishings Franchises.

Note on Gilbert Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Gilbert.

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Gilbert, it's critical that you ensure that no West Virginia company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Gilbert customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Yellow Pages Advertising Advice is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Bring in Revenues

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Gilbert business, you need to focus on sales.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Gilbert, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Gilbert businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Gilbert entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Gilbert, West Virginia

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Gilbert.

More Business Startup Guides for West Virginia

Starting a Business in Franklin
Starting a Business in Glenville

Browse All Business Startup Guides for West Virginia
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary