South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Greenville, South Carolina

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

Greenville, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
252931
5-9 Employees
108169
10-19 Employees
74221
20-49 Employees
56718
50-99 Employees
19941
100-249 Employees
11592
250-499 Employees
3450
500-999 Employees
1311
1000+ Employees
1173
All Greenville Businesses
529506

As a new Greenville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Greenville 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
23
Air Traffic Control
2
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
2
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
6
Architectural Services
45
Art Dealers
13
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
9
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
38
Automotive Transmission Repair
13
Baked Goods Stores
7
Barber Shops
6
Beauty Salons
90
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
24
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Boat Building
1
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
16
Bowling Centers
1
Breweries
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
2
Building Inspection Services
4
Business to Business Electronic Markets
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Cafeterias
8
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Car Washes
12
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
11
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
9
Child Day Care Services
47
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
7
Civic and Social Organizations
22
Claims Adjusting
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
6
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
18
Commercial Photography
6
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Computer and Software Stores
10
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
44
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
2
Consumer Lending
38
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
11
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
6
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
2
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Couriers
12
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Credit Unions
19
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
40
Dance Companies
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Digital Printing
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
16
Direct Mail Advertising
5
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
3
Display Advertising
4
Document Preparation Services
6
Drafting Services
6
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
25
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
14
Educational Support Services
4
Electric Power Distribution
4
Electron Tube Manufacturing
1
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
9
Elementary and Secondary Schools
21
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
9
Engineering Services
109
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
8
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
11
Facilities Support Services
9
Family Clothing Stores
34
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
2
Fine Arts Schools
15
Finish Carpentry Contractors
17
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
35
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
9
Flooring Contractors
17
Florists
10
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
9
Food Service Contractors
19
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
6
Framing Contractors
10
Freight Transportation Arrangement
12
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
3
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
9
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
11
Furniture Stores
53
General Automotive Repair
63
General Freight Trucking, Local
12
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Rental Centers
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
37
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
14
Grantmaking Foundations
11
Graphic Design Services
9
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
9
Hardware Stores
13
Heating Oil Dealers
5
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
12
Home Centers
7
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
15
Home Health Care Services
12
Home Health Equipment Rental
5
Household Appliance Stores
8
Human Rights Organizations
3
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
8
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Interior Design Services
18
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
6
Investment Advice
24
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Iron Foundries
1
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
37
Junior Colleges
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Land Subdivision
31
Landscape Architectural Services
9
Landscaping Services
56
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
222
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
5
Locksmiths
3
Logging
1
Machine Shops
13
Mail-Order Houses
5
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
7
Marketing Consulting Services
25
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
10
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
4
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
9
Metal Heat Treating
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
28
Motion Picture and Video Production
3
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
7
Museums
1
Music Publishers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
9
Nail Salons
11
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
Natural Gas Distribution
3
New Car Dealers
25
New Housing Operative Builders
20
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
13
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
3
Nursing Care Facilities
10
Office Administrative Services
26
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
19
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
12
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
3
Offices of Chiropractors
29
Offices of Dentists
116
Offices of Lawyers
271
Offices of Optometrists
18
Offices of Other Holding Companies
7
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
24
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Optical Goods Stores
17
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
5
Packaging and Labeling Services
5
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
10
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
40
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
7
Payroll Services
9
Periodical Publishers
11
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
47
Photography Studios, Portrait
21
Plastics Bag Manufacturing
2
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
3
Portfolio Management
20
Poultry Processing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
6
Professional Employer Organizations
6
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
8
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
17
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
42
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
49
Residential Remodelers
41
Retail Bakeries
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
16
Savings Institutions
8
Securities Brokerage
41
Security Guards and Patrol Services
8
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
42
Sign Manufacturing
11
Site Preparation Contractors
16
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
25
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
9
Software Reproducing
2
Solid Waste Collection
5
Sound Recording Studios
2
Special Needs Transportation
1
Specialty Canning
1
Sporting Goods Stores
26
Sports and Recreation Instruction
10
Sports Teams and Clubs
2
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
27
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
6
Telemarketing Bureaus
4
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
3
Temporary Help Services
89
Testing Laboratories
12
Textile Machinery Manufacturing
9
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
6
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
8
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
36
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
1
Tobacco Stores
6
Tour Operators
2
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
19
Used Car Dealers
27
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
8
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
20
Video Tape and Disc Rental
15
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
7
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
44
Window Treatment Stores
6
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
33
Women's Clothing Stores
50
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Preservation
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
3

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Greenville Business?

We've created a useful 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 Greenville.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

The Role of the Business Plan

Creating a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in South Carolina.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Greenville business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Greenville entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of South Carolina Angel Investors and our List of South Carolina Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in Greenville and build your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising in Magazines is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby South Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Greenville entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Never Give Up

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Greenville 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 Greenville, South Carolina

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

More Business Startup Guides for South Carolina

Starting a Business in Goose Creek
Starting a Business in Greenwood

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

 

 

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