Are you starting a business in Petersburg, Virginia? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Petersburg.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Petersburg. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
Petersburg, Virginia Demographic Information
Petersburg has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Petersburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Petersburg.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
16654 |
| 5-9 Employees |
8052 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5049 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3201 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1023 |
| 100-249 Employees |
594 |
| 250-499 Employees |
165 |
| 500-999 Employees |
33 |
| 1000+ Employees |
33 |
| All Petersburg Businesses |
34804 |
As a new Petersburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Petersburg 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 |
| Abrasive Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
5 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
13 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
|
Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
|
Child Day Care Services |
10 |
| Cigarette Manufacturing |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
6 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
10 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
|
Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
|
Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
12 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
|
Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
28 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
|
Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
19 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
|
Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
13 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
|
Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
10 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
27 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
|
Linen Supply |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
1 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
|
Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Museums |
1 |
|
Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
6 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
|
Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
17 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
22 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
2 |
|
Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
8 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
9 |
|
Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
12 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
|
Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
|
Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Tire Dealers |
5 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
16 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
4 |
|
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Petersburg Business?
We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Petersburg.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Naming the Company
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Petersburg, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Virginia company using the business name you have chosen.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Petersburg, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Virginia educational institutions. We also recommend you look into Petersburg networking organizations.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Petersburg. 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Petersburg and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Petersburg 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 Petersburg, Virginia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Petersburg.
- Resources for Petersburg, Virginia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Petersburg entrepreneurs.
- Virginia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Virginia.
- Virginia Small Business Development Center - Virginia Small Business Development Centers offer professional business counseling, training and information resources to help grow and strengthen Virginia businesses.
- Petersburg, Virginia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Petersburg, Virginia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Petersburg area.
- Petersburg, Virginia Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Petersburg, Virginia area radio stations.
- Petersburg, Virginia Payroll Services - This list includes Petersburg, Virginia payroll services, national payroll services for Petersburg, and helpful information on choosing a Petersburg payroll service.
- Petersburg, Virginia Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Petersburg, Virginia, such as business brokers in Petersburg and other helpful information on how to buy a Petersburg business.
More Business Startup Guides for Virginia
Starting a Business in Pennington Gap
Starting a Business in Powhatan
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Virginia
Starting a Business
Guides for Other States
