Contemplating starting a business in Laurel, Mississippi? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Laurel.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Laurel. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Laurel, Mississippi Demographic Information
Laurel has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Laurel demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Laurel.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
15710 |
| 5-9 Employees |
8430 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5190 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3390 |
| 50-99 Employees |
840 |
| 100-249 Employees |
480 |
| 250-499 Employees |
0 |
| 500-999 Employees |
90 |
| 1000+ Employees |
90 |
| All Laurel Businesses |
34220 |
As a new Laurel entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Laurel 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 |
|
Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
|
Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
6 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
7 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
|
Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
|
Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
|
Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
13 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
|
Credit Unions |
1 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
6 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
|
Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
18 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
|
Engineering Services |
5 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants |
20 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
10 |
| General Automotive Repair |
11 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
|
Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
|
Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
28 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron Foundries |
1 |
|
Janitorial Services |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
38 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
|
Logging |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
5 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
|
Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
14 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
20 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
29 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
10 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
|
Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
5 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
|
Residential Remodelers |
2 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sewage Treatment Facilities |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
|
Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
13 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
6 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
|
Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
|
Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
11 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
7 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Picking a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Laurel, it's critical that you ensure that no other Mississippi company is using the business name you want to use.
Marketing Your New Company
Whether your goal is to attract Laurel 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. Exhibiting at Tradeshows 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.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Laurel business, you need to focus on sales.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Sales Forecasting offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
The best entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Laurel, Mississippi, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Mississippi universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Laurel entrepreneurs.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Laurel, 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 Laurel businesses to be successful. 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 Laurel, Mississippi
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Laurel.
- Resources for Laurel, Mississippi Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Laurel entrepreneurs.
- Mississippi Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Mississippi.
- Mississippi Small Business Development Center - The Mississippi Small Business Development Centers (MSBDC) is dedicated to helping build and grow businesses in Mississippi. For new entrepreneurs, this is an excellent resource.
- Laurel, Mississippi Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Laurel, Mississippi newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Laurel area.
- Laurel, Mississippi Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Laurel, Mississippi area radio stations.
- Laurel, Mississippi Payroll Services - This list includes Laurel, Mississippi payroll services, national payroll services for Laurel, and helpful information on choosing a Laurel payroll service.
- Laurel, Mississippi Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Laurel, Mississippi, such as business brokers in Laurel and other helpful information on how to buy a Laurel business.
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