Thinking about starting a business in Greenville, Ohio? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Greenville.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Greenville. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Greenville, Ohio 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 |
25139 |
| 5-9 Employees |
10764 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5520 |
| 20-49 Employees |
4140 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1518 |
| 100-249 Employees |
414 |
| 250-499 Employees |
345 |
| 500-999 Employees |
138 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Greenville Businesses |
47978 |
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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
6 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
15 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
8 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
17 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
7 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
25 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Meat Markets |
3 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
6 |
| Offices of Dentists |
8 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
12 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
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 |
4 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
10 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Shoe Stores |
4 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
3 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
Should You Franchise?
As you drive around Greenville, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Sell4Free Real Estate Systems and MainStay Suites. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Restaurant Franchises and Auto Rental Franchises.
Note on Greenville Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Greenville.
Forming a Company in Greenville, Ohio
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
When forming a company, you will choose 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 Ohio, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Ohio. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. 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 C Corp Versus S Corp. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Greenville, Ohio, our web page covering Incorporating in Ohio may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Ohio.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Greenville or are selling to customers throughout Ohio, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Good Sales Strategies offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Good business owners recognize that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Greenville, Ohio, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Ohio universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Greenville networking organizations.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Greenville. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Greenville and throughout the United States . 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, Ohio
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Greenville.
- Resources for Greenville, Ohio Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Greenville entrepreneurs.
- Ohio Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Ohio.
- Ohio Small Business Development Center - Whether you're starting your business, expanding your business, or just looking to stay in business, the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio (SBDCs of Ohio) can help with professional guidance by connecting you with research, financing sources, and training opportunities.
- Greenville, Ohio Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Greenville, Ohio newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Greenville area.
- Greenville, Ohio Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Greenville, Ohio area radio stations.
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