Contemplating starting a business in Lynchburg, Virginia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Lynchburg.
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Evaluating Your Idea.
Always keep in mind that Lynchburg is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Lynchburg than others. A critical consideration is whether Lynchburg demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Lynchburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lynchburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lynchburg.
As a new Lynchburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lynchburg 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 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
8 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
9 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
5 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
5 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
36 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
2 |
| Book Stores |
8 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business Associations |
12 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
4 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Car Washes |
9 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
4 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
6 |
| Child Day Care Services |
23 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
21 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
8 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
5 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
6 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
6 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
17 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
4 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
9 |
| Educational Support Services |
5 |
| Electrical Contractors |
27 |
| Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
4 |
| Engineering Services |
26 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Farm Management Services |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
6 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
12 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
13 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
8 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
11 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
6 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
80 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
7 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
13 |
| General Automotive Repair |
34 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
10 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
5 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
6 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
20 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
7 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
5 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
8 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
3 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
64 |
| Interior Design Services |
5 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
7 |
| Iron Foundries |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
41 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
13 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
27 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
86 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
3 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
12 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
4 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
7 |
| Masonry Contractors |
12 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
2 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Home Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
16 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
3 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
8 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
17 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
11 |
| Offices of Dentists |
49 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
55 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
11 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
5 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
12 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
11 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
34 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
5 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
5 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
7 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
5 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
14 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Repossession Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
10 |
| Residential Remodelers |
25 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
5 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
14 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
15 |
| Siding Contractors |
10 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
7 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
13 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
10 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
5 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
16 |
| Taxi Service |
2 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
8 |
| Temporary Shelters |
5 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
2 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
8 |
| Used Car Dealers |
17 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
13 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
10 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
6 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
15 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
21 |
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Lynchburg, it's very important that you make sure no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
Getting your Lynchburg business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Lynchburg or are selling to customers throughout Virginia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Lynchburg. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Lynchburg 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.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lynchburg.
