Contemplating starting a business in Greenville, North Carolina? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Greenville.
Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?
Most startup businesses fail, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you start your business, 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.
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Greenville. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- Peruse Why Small Businesses Fail. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
What Business to Start
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Evaluating Your Idea.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Digital Printers Business guide or our How to Start a Fiberglass & Materials Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Greenville. Some businesses will do better in Greenville than others. Don't forget to review Greenville demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Greenville, North Carolina 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 |
82593 |
| 5-9 Employees |
35190 |
| 10-19 Employees |
26197 |
| 20-49 Employees |
19596 |
| 50-99 Employees |
7521 |
| 100-249 Employees |
2760 |
| 250-499 Employees |
828 |
| 500-999 Employees |
345 |
| 1000+ Employees |
138 |
| All Greenville Businesses |
175168 |
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 |
5 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
24 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Boat Building |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
4 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Car Washes |
7 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
5 |
| Child Day Care Services |
33 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Claims Adjusting |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
5 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
13 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
10 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
2 |
| Cotton Ginning |
1 |
| Couriers |
5 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
5 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
5 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
15 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
11 |
| Electrical Contractors |
32 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
15 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
6 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
16 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
13 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
11 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
8 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
7 |
| Food Service Contractors |
11 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
5 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
5 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
77 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
21 |
| General Automotive Repair |
14 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
13 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Hardware Stores |
6 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
4 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
23 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
7 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
53 |
| Interior Design Services |
4 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
3 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
26 |
| Jewelry Stores |
15 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
6 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
17 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
94 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
5 |
| Logging |
4 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
13 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
16 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
6 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
11 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
10 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
31 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
10 |
| Offices of Dentists |
32 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
83 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
12 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
13 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
16 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
7 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
1 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
16 |
| Residential Remodelers |
15 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
4 |
| Sales Financing |
3 |
| Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
15 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
14 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
5 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
9 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
3 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
13 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
20 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
10 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
7 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
12 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
24 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
22 |
| Yarn Spinning Mills |
2 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Greenville, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Staffing a Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Sterling Optical and Multi Menu. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Soccer Franchises and Bakery Franchises.
Note on Greenville Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Greenville.
Selecting a Name For Your Business
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.
Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Greenville, it's imperative that you check now that no other North Carolina company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Greenville, North Carolina
It's essential 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.
The entity you form can be 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. Just because you are starting a business in North Carolina, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in North Carolina. As it turns out, 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's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Greenville, North Carolina, our information on Incorporating in North Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in North Carolina.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Greenville, North Carolina, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local North Carolina educational institutions. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Greenville entrepreneurs.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Greenville businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
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 Greenville and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Greenville, North Carolina
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Greenville.
More Business Startup Guides for North Carolina
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Business Startup Guides for North Carolina
