South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Spartanburg, South Carolina

Need help starting a business in Spartanburg, South Carolina? We've got the information you need to open a business in Spartanburg.

Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?

Before you get too far along in the process, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Spartanburg. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Spartanburg, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4962
5-9 Employees
2244
10-19 Employees
1524
20-49 Employees
1080
50-99 Employees
471
100-249 Employees
243
250-499 Employees
84
500-999 Employees
15
1000+ Employees
15
All Spartanburg Businesses
10638

As a new Spartanburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Spartanburg 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
Ambulance Services
2
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
9
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
27
Automotive Transmission Repair
10
Baked Goods Stores
2
Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing
1
Barber Shops
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
4
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
5
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Carpet and Rug Mills
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
3
Child and Youth Services
6
Child Day Care Services
30
Civic and Social Organizations
14
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Photography
2
Commercial Screen Printing
5
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
51
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
13
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
1
Couriers
5
Credit Unions
10
Custom Computer Programming Services
9
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
5
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
12
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
10
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
4
Engineering Services
22
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Fabric Coating Mills
2
Family Clothing Stores
16
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
4
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
5
Fish and Seafood Markets
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
14
Floor Covering Stores
7
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
9
Flour Milling
1
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
4
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Full-Service Restaurants
124
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
15
General Automotive Repair
43
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
5
General Warehousing and Storage
12
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
7
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
6
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
3
Industrial Building Construction
3
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
3
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
68
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
30
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
28
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
4
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
118
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
5
Marketing Consulting Services
8
Masonry Contractors
10
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
6
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
9
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
6
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Car Dealers
18
New Housing Operative Builders
11
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
7
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
3
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
29
Offices of Chiropractors
20
Offices of Dentists
59
Offices of Lawyers
104
Offices of Optometrists
12
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Optical Goods Stores
9
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
9
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
5
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Passenger Car Rental
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
7
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
18
Photography Studios, Portrait
7
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
3
Poultry Processing
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
2
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
3
Radio Stations
6
Real Estate Credit
15
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
2
Residential Property Managers
18
Residential Remodelers
14
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Sales Financing
4
Savings Institutions
6
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
16
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sewage Treatment Facilities
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
2
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
9
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Support Activities for Forestry
2
Surface Active Agent Manufacturing
3
Taxi Service
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Help Services
23
Temporary Shelters
7
Testing Laboratories
4
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
9
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
2
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
8
Travel Agencies
6
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
16
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
13
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
22
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
9
Women's Clothing Stores
28
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Examine a list of Spartanburg businesses and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising and Veterans. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille and Guard-A-Kid. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Specialty Foods Franchises and Family Restaurant Franchises.

Note on Spartanburg Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Spartanburg.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Spartanburg Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in South Carolina. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Spartanburg.

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

Naming the Business

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 planning on starting a business in Spartanburg, it's very important that you make sure no other South Carolina company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

Creating a business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in South Carolina.

Selling Tips

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Spartanburg or are selling to customers throughout South Carolina, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Spartanburg and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg, South Carolina

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in South Carolina

Starting a Business in Seneca
Starting a Business in Summerville

Browse All Business Startup Guides for South Carolina
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

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