Thinking about starting a business in Hampton, Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Hampton.
Running your own business is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
Hampton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hampton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hampton.
As a new Hampton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hampton 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 |
| Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
4 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
|
Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
14 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
34 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
7 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
6 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
|
Cafeterias |
5 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
2 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
|
Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
29 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
13 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
7 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
|
Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
5 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
5 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
26 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Concrete Pipe Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
|
Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
18 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
9 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
16 |
| Dental Laboratories |
3 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
4 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
9 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
32 |
| Electronic Resistor Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
|
Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
34 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Facilities Support Services |
7 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
|
Fine Arts Schools |
7 |
| Finfish Fishing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
22 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
17 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
8 |
|
Florists |
10 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
7 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
3 |
| Framing Contractors |
12 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing |
2 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
82 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
11 |
| General Automotive Repair |
25 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
10 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
3 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
|
General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
17 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
4 |
|
Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Inland Water Passenger Transportation |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
38 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
3 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
44 |
|
Jewelry Stores |
10 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
3 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
26 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
6 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
96 |
|
Limousine Service |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
13 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
|
Marinas |
8 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
14 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
6 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
6 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
|
Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Nonferrous Forging |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
|
Office Administrative Services |
8 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
5 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
49 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
50 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
8 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
7 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
8 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
|
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
23 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
14 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
6 |
|
Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
7 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
9 |
| Residential Remodelers |
30 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
|
Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
18 |
| Siding Contractors |
7 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
10 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
11 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction |
4 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
2 |
| Steel Investment Foundries |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
11 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
3 |
| Television Broadcasting |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
3 |
|
Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
6 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores |
7 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
11 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
8 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
16 |
A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Hampton, it's critical that you ensure that no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Hampton business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
As an entrepreneur in Hampton, 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Hampton and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Hampton entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hampton.
