South Carolina Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Aiken, South Carolina
Need help starting a business in Aiken, South Carolina? We've got the information you need to open a business in Aiken.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Aiken. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Aiken, South Carolina Demographic Information
Aiken has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Aiken demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Aiken.
Businesses
As a new Aiken entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Aiken 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.
Businesses
Forming a Company in Aiken, South Carolina
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in South Carolina, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in South Carolina. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Aiken, South Carolina, our web page covering Incorporating in South Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in South Carolina.
Startup Financing Basics
Raising money to fund your new Aiken business is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Aiken entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of South Carolina Angel Investors and our List of South Carolina Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Business
Whether your goal is to attract Aiken customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Introduction to Advertising is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Bring in Revenues
Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Aiken or are selling to customers throughout South Carolina, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Tips on Customer Referrals 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.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
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 Aiken, South Carolina, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby South Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Aiken networking organizations.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Aiken. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Aiken businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Aiken, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Aiken, South Carolina
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Aiken.
- Resources for Aiken, South Carolina Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Aiken entrepreneurs.
- South Carolina Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in South Carolina.
- South Carolina Small Business Development Center - The South Carolina Small Business Development Center provides consulting services to small and medium enterprises through more than 14 locations across the state.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in South Carolina
Starting a Business in Abbeville
Starting a Business in Anderson
Browse All Business Startup Guides for South Carolina
Starting a Business Guides for Other States
Share this article
Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs