West Virginia Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Shinnston, West Virginia

Contemplating starting a business in Shinnston, West Virginia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Shinnston.

Shinnston, West Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
174
5-9 Employees
117
10-19 Employees
51
20-49 Employees
21
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
3
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Shinnston Businesses
369

As a new Shinnston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Shinnston 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Electrical Contractors
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Florists
1
Full-Service Restaurants
2
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Interior Design Services
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
7
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Lawyers
1
Offices of Optometrists
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Sales Financing
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Shinnston, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising and Veterans. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include NAPA Auto Parts and Slender Lady. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Inspection Franchises and Print and Sign Franchises.

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

Is Buying an Existing Shinnston Business a Good Strategy?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in West Virginia. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Shinnston.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

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.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Shinnston, it's imperative that you check now that no other West Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Shinnston, West Virginia

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in West Virginia, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in West Virginia. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Shinnston, West Virginia, our information on Incorporating in West Virginia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in West Virginia.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in West Virginia.

Moving Forward

Most new Shinnston businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Shinnston businesses to be successful. 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 Shinnston, West Virginia

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

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