Thinking about starting a business in Hendersonville, North Carolina? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Hendersonville.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Running your own business is difficult, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Hendersonville. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at 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 an Antenna Master Systems Business guide or our Starting a Dry Wall Equipment & Supplies Business guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Hendersonville. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Hendersonville. A critical consideration is whether Hendersonville demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Hendersonville, North Carolina Demographic Information
Hendersonville has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hendersonville demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hendersonville.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
5658 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2154 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1242 |
| 20-49 Employees |
798 |
| 50-99 Employees |
240 |
| 100-249 Employees |
144 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Hendersonville Businesses |
10260 |
As a new Hendersonville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hendersonville 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 |
| Abrasive Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
3 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
24 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
6 |
| Carpet and Rug Mills |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Cheese Manufacturing |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
12 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
2 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
6 |
| Dental Laboratories |
3 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
3 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
8 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
15 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
7 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
7 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
12 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
53 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
9 |
| General Automotive Repair |
20 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
5 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
4 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
4 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Home Health Care Services |
9 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
13 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
2 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
33 |
| Interior Design Services |
4 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
8 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
8 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
4 |
| Landscaping Services |
34 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
45 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
4 |
| Masonry Contractors |
10 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
10 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
8 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nonwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
14 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
10 |
| Offices of Dentists |
27 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
41 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
6 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Periodical Publishers |
3 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
10 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
18 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
5 |
| Securities Brokerage |
16 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
| Siding Contractors |
6 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
18 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
6 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
4 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Thread Mills |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
5 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
11 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
10 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Wood Preservation |
1 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Hendersonville and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Protecting Your Franchise Territory. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include TravelCenters of America, Inc. and AlphaGraphics Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Inspection Franchises and Print and Sign Franchises.
Note on Hendersonville Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Hendersonville.
Should You Buy an Existing Hendersonville Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in North Carolina. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Hendersonville.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Hendersonville customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Point-of-Sale Displays is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Successful business owners know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Hendersonville, North Carolina, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby North Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into Hendersonville networking organizations.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Hendersonville, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Hendersonville businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Hendersonville, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Hendersonville, North Carolina
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hendersonville.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in North Carolina
Starting a Business in Henderson
Starting a Business in Hertford
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for North Carolina
