Thinking about starting a business in Greenville, Mississippi? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Greenville.
What Business Are You Starting?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening an Intellectual Property Attorneys Business guide or our Opening a Phone Directory & Guide Publishers Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Greenville has some implications. If Greenville already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Greenville demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Greenville, Mississippi 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 |
37996 |
| 5-9 Employees |
17089 |
| 10-19 Employees |
10143 |
| 20-49 Employees |
7107 |
| 50-99 Employees |
2484 |
| 100-249 Employees |
759 |
| 250-499 Employees |
414 |
| 500-999 Employees |
69 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Greenville Businesses |
76061 |
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 |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
15 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
7 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Casino Hotels |
2 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
36 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Claims Adjusting |
3 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
5 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
8 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finfish Fishing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
25 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
8 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
9 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
3 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Inland Water Freight Transportation |
3 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
17 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
| Jewelry Stores |
10 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
30 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
10 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
16 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
32 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
4 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Rice Milling |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
6 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
12 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Truck Trailer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
12 |
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Greenville, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchise Law. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Results Travel and ERA Franchise Systems, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Seafood Restaurant Franchises and Employment and Staffing Franchises.
Note on Greenville Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Greenville, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Should You Buy an Existing Greenville Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Mississippi. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Greenville.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Mississippi.
Ramping Up Sales
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Greenville business, you need to focus on sales.
Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Greenville, Mississippi, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Mississippi universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Greenville entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Greenville, 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.
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, Mississippi
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Greenville.
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