Are you starting a business in Parkersburg, West Virginia? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Parkersburg.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Running your own business is demanding, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous 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.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Parkersburg. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- 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. 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.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Free Business Ideas.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Custom Printed Shirts Business guide or our Opening a Recreation Areas Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Parkersburg. Some businesses will do better in Parkersburg than others. Make sure you fully understand Parkersburg demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Parkersburg, West Virginia Demographic Information
Parkersburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Parkersburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Parkersburg.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
6453 |
| 5-9 Employees |
3438 |
| 10-19 Employees |
2178 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1386 |
| 50-99 Employees |
495 |
| 100-249 Employees |
279 |
| 250-499 Employees |
36 |
| 500-999 Employees |
9 |
| 1000+ Employees |
9 |
| All Parkersburg Businesses |
14283 |
As a new Parkersburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Parkersburg 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 |
4 |
| Ambulance Services |
4 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
5 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
4 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
5 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
12 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Book Stores |
6 |
| Books Printing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
4 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
5 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
17 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
26 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
3 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
4 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
10 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
30 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
7 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
4 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
36 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
9 |
| General Automotive Repair |
14 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
13 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
7 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
37 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
14 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
4 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
60 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
8 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
5 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
2 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
4 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
16 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
9 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
24 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
51 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
7 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
16 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
5 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
9 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
7 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
7 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
3 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
6 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Thread Mills |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Parkersburg Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in West Virginia. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Parkersburg.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Naming the Company
A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.
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 Business.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Parkersburg, it's critical that you ensure that no other West Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Parkersburg business, you need to focus on sales.
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.
Sales Forecasting is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Parkersburg, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Parkersburg and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Parkersburg, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Parkersburg, West Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Parkersburg.
- Resources for Parkersburg, West Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Parkersburg 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.
- Parkersburg, West Virginia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Parkersburg, West Virginia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Parkersburg area.
- Parkersburg, West Virginia Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Parkersburg, West Virginia area radio stations.
- Parkersburg, West Virginia Payroll Services - This list includes Parkersburg, West Virginia payroll services, national payroll services for Parkersburg, and helpful information on choosing a Parkersburg payroll service.
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