Opening a Business in Greenville, Michigan

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you certain you are ready to take on this challenge?

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

• Talk to other entrepreneurs in Greenville. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
• We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
• Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Greenville, Michigan Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	14467
5-9 Employees	6762
10-19 Employees	4071
20-49 Employees	3312
50-99 Employees	690
100-249 Employees	690
250-499 Employees	276
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	69
All Greenville Businesses	30337

As a new Greenville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Greenville 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	1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair	1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	6
Automotive Transmission Repair	1
Beauty Salons	8
Boat Dealers	1
Bowling Centers	1
Business Associations	2
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Cafeterias	1
Car Washes	1
Child Day Care Services	5
Civic and Social Organizations	3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	2
Commercial Lithographic Printing	4
Computer Facilities Management Services	1
Computer Systems Design Services	1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining	2
Convenience Stores	2
Couriers	1
Credit Unions	2
Discount Department Stores	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	2
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	2
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Engineering Services	1
Environmental Consulting Services	1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services	1
Family Clothing Stores	2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	2
Finish Carpentry Contractors	1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	3
Floor Covering Stores	2
Florists	2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Food Service Contractors	2
Framing Contractors	2
Full-Service Restaurants	10
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers	1
Furniture Stores	1
General Automotive Repair	11
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
General Warehousing and Storage	2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	3
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Graphic Design Services	1
Hardware Stores	1
Heating Oil Dealers	1
Homes for the Elderly	1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing	2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	9
Internet Service Providers	2
Iron Foundries	1
Janitorial Services	6
Jewelry Stores	3
Landscaping Services	3
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	2
Limited-Service Restaurants	9
Machine Shops	3
Marketing Consulting Services	1
Meat Markets	1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores	1
New Car Dealers	1
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Office Administrative Services	1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	3
Offices of Chiropractors	4
Offices of Dentists	6
Offices of Lawyers	5
Offices of Optometrists	2
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Optical Goods Stores	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Photography Studios, Portrait	3
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing	1
Private Mail Centers	1
Professional Employer Organizations	1
Radio Stations	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Residential Remodelers	2
Roofing Contractors	1
Securities Brokerage	4
Septic Tank and Related Services	1
Shoe Stores	4
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	2
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing	1
Sporting Goods Stores	3
Tax Preparation Services	3
Temporary Help Services	4
Tire Dealers	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Used Car Dealers	9
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	1
Used Merchandise Stores	2
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services	2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters	3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2
Women's Clothing Stores	2

Forming a Company in Greenville, Michigan

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Michigan, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Michigan. In fact, you can 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Nevada Incorporation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Greenville, Michigan, our web page covering Incorporating in Michigan may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Michigan.

The Role of the Business Plan

Writing a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Software. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Michigan.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Greenville customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Music on Hold 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.

The Art of Selling

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

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Anticipating Prospect Responses is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Never Give Up

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Greenville and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Greenville 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 Greenville, Michigan

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

• Resources for Greenville, Michigan Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Greenville entrepreneurs.
• Michigan Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Michigan.
• Michigan Small Business Development Center - This organization supports 12 regional offices and over 30 satellite offices, each providing counseling and training to Michigan small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the 83 counties in Michigan. Services to entrepreneurs are offered through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• Greenville, Michigan Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Greenville, Michigan newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Greenville area.
• Greenville, Michigan Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Greenville, Michigan area radio stations.

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