Thinking about starting a business in Port Orchard, Washington? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Port Orchard.
Which Business to Choose?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Chandeliers Business guide or our Starting a Child Foster Care Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Port Orchard. Some businesses will do better in Port Orchard than others. Don't forget to review Port Orchard demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Port Orchard, Washington Demographic Information
Port Orchard has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Port Orchard demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Port Orchard.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2063 |
| 5-9 Employees |
609 |
| 10-19 Employees |
369 |
| 20-49 Employees |
255 |
| 50-99 Employees |
51 |
| 100-249 Employees |
15 |
| 250-499 Employees |
6 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Port Orchard Businesses |
3368 |
As a new Port Orchard entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Port Orchard 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 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
9 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
16 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Building |
4 |
| Boat Dealers |
3 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
4 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
7 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
2 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
10 |
| Electrical Contractors |
24 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
9 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
9 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
7 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
9 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
27 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
7 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
4 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
7 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
11 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
28 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
25 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Logging |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
1 |
| Metal Can Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
3 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
8 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
12 |
| Offices of Dentists |
20 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
31 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
5 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
17 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
3 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
23 |
| Roofing Contractors |
9 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
5 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
13 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
4 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
4 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
6 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
4 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Naming the Company
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.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Port Orchard, it's very important that you make sure no other Washington company is using the business name you want to use.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Writing a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Presentations. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Washington.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Getting your Port Orchard business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Port Orchard entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Washington Angel Investors and our List of Washington Venture Capital Firms.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Port Orchard, Washington, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Washington universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Port Orchard entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Port Orchard. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Port Orchard businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Port Orchard, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Port Orchard, Washington
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Port Orchard.
More Startup Articles for Washington Cities
Starting a Business in Pomeroy
Starting a Business in Port Townsend
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Washington
