West Virginia Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Huntington, West Virginia

Contemplating starting a business in Huntington, West Virginia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Huntington.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Running your own business is demanding, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Huntington. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Huntington, West Virginia Demographic Information

Huntington has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Huntington demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Huntington.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
25299
5-9 Employees
11583
10-19 Employees
9576
20-49 Employees
5994
50-99 Employees
2160
100-249 Employees
918
250-499 Employees
351
500-999 Employees
135
1000+ Employees
81
All Huntington Businesses
56097

As a new Huntington entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Huntington 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
3
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
4
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
18
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
11
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
2
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
6
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
12
Civic and Social Organizations
22
Claims Adjusting
1
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
5
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
4
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Credit Unions
15
Dental Laboratories
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
31
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electrical Contractors
13
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
10
Family Clothing Stores
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
11
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
7
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Rental Centers
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
7
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
4
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Inland Water Freight Transportation
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
49
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
2
Iron and Steel Mills
3
Jewelry Stores
5
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
8
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
8
Limited-Service Restaurants
83
Linen Supply
1
Machine Shops
6
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Masonry Contractors
4
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
6
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonferrous Forging
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
9
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
21
Offices of Chiropractors
16
Offices of Dentists
34
Offices of Lawyers
77
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Optical Goods Stores
3
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Parking Lots and Garages
3
Passenger Car Rental
4
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
14
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
7
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
27
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
1
Rooming and Boarding Houses
4
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
3
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
3
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Taxi Service
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Telephone Answering Services
2
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Help Services
5
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
6
Travel Agencies
3
Used Car Dealers
6
Used Merchandise Stores
8
Vending Machine Operators
8
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
9
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
7
Women's Clothing Stores
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
2

Forming a Company in Huntington, West Virginia

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 select one of many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in West Virginia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in West Virginia. As it turns out, you are allowed to 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 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 may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Huntington, West Virginia, our web page covering Incorporating in West Virginia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in West Virginia.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

Writing a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Software. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in West Virginia.

Ramping Up Sales

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Huntington business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Anticipating Prospect Responses is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Huntington, West Virginia, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby West Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking organizations for Huntington entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Huntington, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Huntington 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 Huntington, West Virginia

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Huntington.

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