Thinking about starting a business in Ridgeland, Mississippi? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Ridgeland.
Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?
An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you want to start a business?
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Ridgeland. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- 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. 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.
Ridgeland, Mississippi Demographic Information
Ridgeland has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ridgeland demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ridgeland.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
5061 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2187 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1836 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1368 |
| 50-99 Employees |
441 |
| 100-249 Employees |
198 |
| 250-499 Employees |
18 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Ridgeland Businesses |
11109 |
As a new Ridgeland entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ridgeland 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 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
13 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
7 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
|
Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
6 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Claims Adjusting |
3 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
|
Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
8 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
|
Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
6 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
8 |
|
Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
|
Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
7 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
13 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
|
Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
|
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
37 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
|
General Automotive Repair |
8 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
|
Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
35 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
11 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
10 |
| Land Subdivision |
8 |
|
Landscape Architectural Services |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
5 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
43 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
|
Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
4 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
5 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
|
Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
7 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
13 |
|
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
4 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
15 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
9 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
46 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
|
Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
5 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
|
Payroll Services |
4 |
| Periodical Publishers |
3 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
7 |
| Portfolio Management |
4 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
|
Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
8 |
|
Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
5 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Secondary Market Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
9 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
15 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Software Publishers |
3 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
|
Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
4 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
|
Temporary Help Services |
6 |
| Testing Laboratories |
3 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
|
Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
9 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
18 |
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.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
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 starting a business in Ridgeland, it's critical that you ensure that no other Mississippi company is using the business name you want to use.
The Role of the Business Plan
Having a business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Mississippi.
Promoting Your New Startup
Whether your goal is to attract Ridgeland customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Working with an Advertising Agency is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Building Up Your Sales
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Ridgeland 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.
Closing Sales Techniques is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Ridgeland, 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 Ridgeland and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 Ridgeland, Mississippi
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ridgeland.
- Resources for Ridgeland, Mississippi Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ridgeland entrepreneurs.
- Mississippi Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Mississippi.
- Mississippi Small Business Development Center - The Mississippi Small Business Development Centers (MSBDC) is dedicated to helping build and grow businesses in Mississippi. For new entrepreneurs, this is an excellent resource.
- Ridgeland, Mississippi Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Ridgeland, Mississippi newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Ridgeland area.
- Ridgeland, Mississippi Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Ridgeland, Mississippi area radio stations.
- Ridgeland, Mississippi Payroll Services - This list includes Ridgeland, Mississippi payroll services, national payroll services for Ridgeland, and helpful information on choosing a Ridgeland payroll service.
- Ridgeland, Mississippi Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Ridgeland, Mississippi, such as business brokers in Ridgeland and other helpful information on how to buy a Ridgeland business.
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