Opening a Business in Moundsville, West Virginia

Thinking about starting a business in Moundsville, West Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Moundsville.

Will You Be a Good 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?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Moundsville. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
• You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read Evaluating Your Idea.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Nutrition Consultants Business guide or our Opening a Silverware Cleaning, Repairing, & Replating Business guide.

Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Moundsville. If Moundsville already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Moundsville demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Moundsville, West Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	420
5-9 Employees	201
10-19 Employees	165
20-49 Employees	78
50-99 Employees	30
100-249 Employees	15
250-499 Employees	3
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Moundsville Businesses	912

As a new Moundsville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Moundsville 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
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	6
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	9
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining	4
Business Associations	1
Car Washes	1
Carbon Black Manufacturing	1
Cemeteries and Crematories	2
Child and Youth Services	1
Child Day Care Services	2
Civic and Social Organizations	6
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Computer and Software Stores	1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers	1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities	2
Convenience Stores	2
Credit Unions	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	6
Educational Support Services	1
Electric Power Distribution	1
Electrical Contractors	2
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Engineering Services	1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	5
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	2
Florists	2
Food Service Contractors	2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation	3
Full-Service Restaurants	12
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	3
General Automotive Repair	1
General Freight Trucking, Local	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Hardware Stores	2
Home Centers	1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	1
Home Health Care Services	1
Homes for the Elderly	1
Household Appliance Stores	2
Hydroelectric Power Generation	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	7
Internet Service Providers	1
Jewelry Stores	1
Landscaping Services	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	11
Machine Shops	1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers	1
Men's Clothing Stores	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	1
Museums	1
New Car Dealers	2
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Chiropractors	1
Offices of Dentists	4
Offices of Lawyers	12
Offices of Optometrists	2
Offices of Other Holding Companies	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	1
Periodical Publishers	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	4
Port and Harbor Operations	1
Remediation Services	1
Residential Remodelers	3
Retail Bakeries	1
Shoe Stores	1
Site Preparation Contractors	4
Special Needs Transportation	1
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Tax Preparation Services	2
Taxi Service	1
Telemarketing Bureaus	3
Temporary Shelters	1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers	1
Tobacco Stores	2
Used Car Dealers	3
Veterinary Services	3
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	2
Women's Clothing Stores	1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Moundsville, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Mr. Handyman and TurboHaul, LLC. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Carpet Retail Franchises and Home Inspection Franchises.

Note on Moundsville Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Moundsville.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in West Virginia.

Promoting Your New Company

To rise above the crowd in Moundsville 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. Billboard Advertising Costs 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.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Moundsville, West Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby West Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any Moundsville networking organizations.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Moundsville, 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 Moundsville businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Moundsville 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 Moundsville, West Virginia

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

• Resources for Moundsville, West Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Moundsville entrepreneurs.
• West Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in West Virginia.
• Wisconsin Small Business Development Center - Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers offer a variety of educational services to small-businesses. The low-cost courses, seminars, and workshops cover both basic and complex topics, from marketing to management techniques to business plan development.
• Moundsville, West Virginia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Moundsville, West Virginia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Moundsville area.
• Moundsville, West Virginia Payroll Services - This list includes Moundsville, West Virginia payroll services, national payroll services for Moundsville, and helpful information on choosing a Moundsville payroll service.
• Moundsville, West Virginia Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Moundsville, West Virginia, such as business brokers in Moundsville and other helpful information on how to buy a Moundsville business.

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