Rhode Island Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Wakefield, Rhode Island

Need help starting a business in Wakefield, Rhode Island? We've got the information you need to open a business in Wakefield.

What Business to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Wakefield. Some businesses will do better in Wakefield than others. Don't forget to review Wakefield demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Wakefield, Rhode Island Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7782
5-9 Employees
2358
10-19 Employees
1656
20-49 Employees
846
50-99 Employees
198
100-249 Employees
72
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
36
1000+ Employees
0
All Wakefield Businesses
12948

As a new Wakefield entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Wakefield 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
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
3
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
10
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
7
Dental Laboratories
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
8
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Engineering Services
3
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finfish Fishing
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
3
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
3
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Full-Service Restaurants
28
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
General Automotive Repair
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
6
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Heating Oil Dealers
3
Home Health Care Services
3
Household Appliance Stores
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
9
Janitorial Services
7
Jewelry Stores
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
22
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Marinas
7
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
3
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
18
Offices of Lawyers
23
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Portfolio Management
2
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Roofing Contractors
2
Savings Institutions
3
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
11
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
4
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Naming the Company

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Wakefield, it's very important that you make sure no other Rhode Island company is using the business name you want to use.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Rhode Island.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Wakefield business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Wakefield entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Rhode Island Angel Investors and our List of Rhode Island Venture Capital Firms.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Wakefield or are selling to customers throughout Rhode Island, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Mastering the Complex Sale 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

You have a dream -- starting a business in Wakefield. 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Wakefield and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Wakefield 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 Wakefield, Rhode Island

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

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