Contemplating starting a business in Paragould, Arkansas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Paragould.
Do You Have What It Takes?
An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Paragould. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- Peruse Why Small Businesses Fail. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
Paragould, Arkansas Demographic Information
Paragould has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Paragould demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Paragould.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1274 |
| 5-9 Employees |
467 |
| 10-19 Employees |
303 |
| 20-49 Employees |
177 |
| 50-99 Employees |
33 |
| 100-249 Employees |
27 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
9 |
| 1000+ Employees |
3 |
| All Paragould Businesses |
2305 |
As a new Paragould entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Paragould 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 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
10 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
4 |
|
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
|
Caterers |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
16 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
|
Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Copper Wire (except Mechanical) Drawing |
1 |
| Cotton Ginning |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
|
Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
7 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
|
Engineering Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finfish Fishing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
4 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
21 |
|
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
3 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
|
Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
20 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
7 |
|
Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
24 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
|
Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
|
New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
11 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
16 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
|
Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
|
Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
3 |
|
Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
3 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
|
Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
4 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
|
Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
2 |
| Truck Trailer Manufacturing |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
12 |
|
Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
Visit the business district of Paragould and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Find Financing for Franchises. 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 Heidi's Brooklyn Deli and Lemstone Christian Stores. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Baby Franchises and Bath Remodeling Franchises.
Note on Paragould Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Paragould.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
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 starting a business in Paragould, it's critical that you ensure that no Arkansas company has already registered the company name you have selected.
Startup Financing Basics
Obtaining startup financing for your Paragould business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Paragould entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Arkansas Angel Investors and our List of Arkansas Venture Capital Firms.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Paragould, Arkansas, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Arkansas universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate networking groups or organizations in which Paragould entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Paragould, 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 Paragould 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 Paragould, Arkansas
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Paragould.
- Resources for Paragould, Arkansas Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Paragould entrepreneurs.
- Arkansas Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Arkansas.
- Arkansas Small Business Development Center - The Arkansas Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) is a University-based economic development program which provides assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout Arkansas via a statewide network of seven offices.
- Paragould, Arkansas Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Paragould, Arkansas newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Paragould area.
- Paragould, Arkansas Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Paragould, Arkansas area radio stations.
- Paragould, Arkansas Payroll Services - This list includes Paragould, Arkansas payroll services, national payroll services for Paragould, and helpful information on choosing a Paragould payroll service.
- Paragould, Arkansas Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Paragould, Arkansas, such as business brokers in Paragould and other helpful information on how to buy a Paragould business.
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