Tennessee Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Kingsport, Tennessee

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

What Business Are You Starting?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Evaluating Your Idea.

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 How to Start a Vinyl Repair Business guide or our Starting a Sewer Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

Don't forget that you are starting a business in Kingsport. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Kingsport. A critical consideration is whether Kingsport demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Kingsport, Tennessee Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2923
5-9 Employees
1260
10-19 Employees
909
20-49 Employees
720
50-99 Employees
195
100-249 Employees
96
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
9
All Kingsport Businesses
6142

As a new Kingsport entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Kingsport 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
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
4
Armored Car Services
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
4
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
19
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
17
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
3
Books Printing
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
22
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Claims Adjusting
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Community Food Services
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Computer Training
1
Consumer Lending
9
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
4
Convenience Stores
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
11
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Dental Laboratories
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Document Preparation Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
21
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
10
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Explosives Manufacturing
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
7
Family Planning Centers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
12
Flat Glass Manufacturing
1
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
7
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Framing Contractors
6
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Full-Service Restaurants
60
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
9
General Automotive Repair
19
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
10
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
5
Human Rights Organizations
1
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
36
Interior Design Services
2
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
14
Jewelry Stores
9
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscaping Services
13
Limited-Service Restaurants
91
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
5
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
10
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
New Car Dealers
12
New Housing Operative Builders
1
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Administrative Services
6
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
10
Offices of Dentists
46
Offices of Lawyers
57
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
10
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
4
Real Estate Credit
9
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
2
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
7
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
4
Securities Brokerage
8
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
8
Siding Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
6
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sporting Goods Stores
9
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
11
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Travel Agencies
3
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
8
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Women's Clothing Stores
11
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Selecting a Name For Your Venture

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.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Kingsport, it's critical that you ensure that no other Tennessee company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Kingsport, Tennessee

It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.

The entity you form can be 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. Just because you are starting a business in Tennessee, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Tennessee. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Incorporation Advice. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Kingsport, Tennessee, our information on Incorporating in Tennessee may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Tennessee.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Writing a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Tennessee.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Good business owners know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Kingsport, Tennessee, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Tennessee universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any networking organizations for Kingsport entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

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

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 Kingsport and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Kingsport 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 Kingsport, Tennessee

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

More Startup Articles for Tennessee Cities

Starting a Business in Jonesborough
Starting a Business in Kingston

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Tennessee
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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