Are you starting a business in Jacksonville, North Carolina? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Jacksonville.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.
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 Starting an Internet Training Business guide or our How to Start a Sewing Business guide.
Don't forget that you are starting a business in Jacksonville. Some businesses will do better in Jacksonville than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Jacksonville demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Jacksonville, North Carolina Demographic Information
Jacksonville has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Jacksonville demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Jacksonville.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
30084 |
| 5-9 Employees |
13356 |
| 10-19 Employees |
9216 |
| 20-49 Employees |
7596 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1980 |
| 100-249 Employees |
900 |
| 250-499 Employees |
252 |
| 500-999 Employees |
72 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Jacksonville Businesses |
63456 |
As a new Jacksonville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Jacksonville 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 |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
3 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
14 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
24 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
5 |
| Car Washes |
6 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
19 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
5 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
8 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
2 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
8 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
29 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
20 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
15 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
5 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
10 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
50 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
15 |
| General Automotive Repair |
20 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
8 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
9 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
31 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
8 |
| Janitorial Services |
15 |
| Jewelry Stores |
12 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
6 |
| Landscaping Services |
10 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
72 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
8 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
5 |
| Masonry Contractors |
16 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
4 |
| New Car Dealers |
13 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
9 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
10 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
9 |
| Offices of Dentists |
24 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
49 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
14 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
5 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
5 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
12 |
| Residential Remodelers |
20 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
5 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
12 |
| Siding Contractors |
5 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
7 |
| Small Arms Manufacturing |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
6 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
5 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
7 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
6 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
13 |
| Taxi Service |
4 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
13 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
22 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
10 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
7 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
Examine a list of Jacksonville businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our advice is to look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Pizzeria Venti and Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bagel Franchises and eBay Franchises.
Note on Jacksonville Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Jacksonville, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Jacksonville Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in North Carolina. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Jacksonville.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Forming a Company in Jacksonville, North Carolina
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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 North Carolina, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in North Carolina. In fact, you can 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 Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Jacksonville, North Carolina, our information on Incorporating in North Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in North Carolina.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Jacksonville business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Business Credit Evaluation.
For Jacksonville entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, browse our List of North Carolina Angel Investors and our List of North Carolina Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Company
To rise above the crowd in Jacksonville and grow your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising on Google is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Jacksonville, 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.
We are here to help Jacksonville businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Jacksonville entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Jacksonville, North Carolina
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Jacksonville.
More Startup Articles for North Carolina Cities
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Starting a Business in Jamestown
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