Are you starting a business in Hickory, North Carolina? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Hickory.
Most new businesses don't make it, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills 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.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Good Business Ideas.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Hickory. Some businesses will do better in Hickory than others. Don't forget to review Hickory demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Hickory has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hickory demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hickory.
As a new Hickory entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hickory 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 |
2 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
8 |
| Air Traffic Control |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
6 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
20 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
25 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
8 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
6 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
2 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
5 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
8 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
16 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
10 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
5 |
| Commercial Photography |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
11 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
2 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
5 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
13 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
7 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
26 |
| Electronic Connector Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
18 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
7 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
19 |
| Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
8 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
9 |
| Food Service Contractors |
16 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
4 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
80 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
8 |
| Furniture Stores |
37 |
| General Automotive Repair |
30 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
5 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
16 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
4 |
| Glove and Mitten Manufacturing |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
5 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
7 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Home Health Care Services |
13 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Industrial Design Services |
6 |
| Industrial Launderers |
4 |
| Industrial Sand Mining |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
64 |
| Interior Design Services |
4 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
11 |
| Janitorial Services |
15 |
| Jewelry Stores |
17 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
8 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
23 |
| Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing |
3 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
87 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
11 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Marinas |
3 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
9 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
12 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
7 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
23 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
11 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
30 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
9 |
| Offices of Dentists |
39 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
48 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
8 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
8 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
18 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
8 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
12 |
| Residential Property Managers |
11 |
| Residential Remodelers |
18 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
6 |
| Roofing Contractors |
10 |
| Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
10 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheer Hosiery Mills |
5 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
15 |
| Siding Contractors |
7 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
14 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
2 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
16 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
10 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
13 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Textile Machinery Manufacturing |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
14 |
| Tire Retreading |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
3 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
19 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
11 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
9 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Weft Knit Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
15 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
9 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
25 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
2 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Yarn Spinning Mills |
2 |
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in North Carolina, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in North Carolina. In fact, 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 Subchapter S Corporations. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Hickory, North Carolina, our information on Incorporating in North Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in North Carolina.
Creating a business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan
Getting your Hickory business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Hickory business to do well.
Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Most new Hickory businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Hickory 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.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hickory.
