Contemplating starting a business in Longview, Washington? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Longview.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Most startup businesses do not succeed, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Longview. 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.
Longview, Washington Demographic Information
Longview has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Longview demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Longview.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
5430 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2457 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1854 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1008 |
| 50-99 Employees |
279 |
| 100-249 Employees |
207 |
| 250-499 Employees |
81 |
| 500-999 Employees |
18 |
| 1000+ Employees |
18 |
| All Longview Businesses |
11352 |
As a new Longview entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Longview 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 |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
10 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
6 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
5 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
10 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Deep Sea Freight Transportation |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
7 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
8 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
4 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
40 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
11 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
6 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
11 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
29 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
12 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
11 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
44 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
10 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
5 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Newsprint Mills |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
12 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
30 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
33 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
6 |
| Paper (except Newsprint) Mills |
1 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Passenger Car Leasing |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
7 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
11 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Sawmills |
4 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
14 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Steel Foundries (except Investment) |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
4 |
| Surface-Coated Paperboard Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Used Car Dealers |
5 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
7 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
6 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Longview, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include PostalAnnex+ and A-1 Concrete Leveling. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Moving Franchises.
Note on Longview Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Longview, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Mistakes. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Washington.
The Art of Selling
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Longview business to do well.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Hiring Good Sales People is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Successful entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Longview, Washington, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Washington universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Longview networking organizations.
What's Next?
Most new Longview businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Longview and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Longview 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 Longview, Washington
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Longview.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Washington
Starting a Business in Long Beach
Starting a Business in Lopez
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Business Startup Guides for Washington
