West Virginia Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Thinking about starting a business in Shepherdstown, West Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Shepherdstown.

Shepherdstown, West Virginia Demographic Information

Shepherdstown has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Shepherdstown demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Shepherdstown.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
371
5-9 Employees
105
10-19 Employees
51
20-49 Employees
27
50-99 Employees
12
100-249 Employees
3
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Shepherdstown Businesses
569

As a new Shepherdstown entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Shepherdstown 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
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Book Stores
2
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Educational Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
2
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
2
Landscaping Services
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Dentists
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Retail Bakeries
2
Securities Brokerage
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Shepherdstown, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Woody's Chicago Style and Rescuecom. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Employment and Staffing Franchises and Auto Repair Franchises.

Note on Shepherdstown Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Shepherdstown, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Shepherdstown Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in West Virginia. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Shepherdstown.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Picking 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?

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 starting a business in Shepherdstown, it's very important that you make sure no other West Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Shepherdstown business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.

For Shepherdstown entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, you'll want to take a look at our List of West Virginia Angel Investors and our List of West Virginia Venture Capital Firms.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby West Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Shepherdstown networking organizations.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Shepherdstown. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Shepherdstown and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Shepherdstown, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Shepherdstown.

More Business Startup Guides for West Virginia

Starting a Business in Saint Marys
Starting a Business in Shinnston

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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