South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Bluffton, South Carolina

Are you starting a business in Bluffton, South Carolina? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Bluffton.

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Bluffton. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Bluffton, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7880
5-9 Employees
2760
10-19 Employees
1920
20-49 Employees
1020
50-99 Employees
180
100-249 Employees
270
250-499 Employees
30
500-999 Employees
15
1000+ Employees
15
All Bluffton Businesses
14090

As a new Bluffton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bluffton 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
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
4
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Beauty Salons
8
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Book Stores
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
5
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
9
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
24
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Family Clothing Stores
18
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
22
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
16
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
39
Furniture Stores
12
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
10
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
7
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
10
Jewelry Stores
6
Land Subdivision
7
Landscaping Services
31
Limited-Service Restaurants
14
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
3
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
1
Masonry Contractors
10
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Dentists
10
Offices of Lawyers
14
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
4
Optical Goods Stores
4
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Portfolio Management
1
Real Estate Credit
3
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Remodelers
13
Roofing Contractors
6
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
16
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Help Services
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire Dealers
1
Travel Agencies
4
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
12
Wood Preservation
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

Examine a list of Bluffton businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchising and Veterans. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Padgett Business Services and Cosi, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tanning Franchises and Healthcare Services Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Bluffton Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in South Carolina. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bluffton.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

Creating a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in South Carolina.

Bring in Revenues

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Bluffton business, you need to focus on sales.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Bluffton, South Carolina, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby South Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Bluffton networking organizations.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Bluffton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Bluffton and throughout the United States . 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 Bluffton, South Carolina

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

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

Starting a Business in Blacksburg
Starting a Business in Camden

Browse All Business Startup Guides for South Carolina
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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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