Virginia Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Manassas, Virginia

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

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Meat Processing Business guide or our Starting a Prestressed Concrete Business guide.

Remember that Manassas is the place where you are starting a business. If Manassas already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Make sure you fully understand Manassas demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Manassas, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
10610
5-9 Employees
4056
10-19 Employees
3126
20-49 Employees
2310
50-99 Employees
738
100-249 Employees
384
250-499 Employees
72
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
18
All Manassas Businesses
21314

As a new Manassas entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Manassas 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
Air Traffic Control
1
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
6
Architectural Services
5
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
7
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
20
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
53
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Book Stores
9
Bowling Centers
2
Building Inspection Services
6
Business Associations
6
Cable and Other Program Distribution
6
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
12
Casino Hotels
1
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
44
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
8
Commercial Photography
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Facilities Management Services
11
Computer Systems Design Services
55
Computer Training
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
16
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
26
Dental Laboratories
5
Direct Mail Advertising
6
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
6
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
5
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
2
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
34
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
61
Electronic Shopping
5
Elementary and Secondary Schools
11
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
42
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
6
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
14
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
13
Family Planning Centers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
39
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
16
Flight Training
2
Floor Covering Stores
10
Flooring Contractors
15
Florists
6
Food Service Contractors
8
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
25
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
82
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
61
General Freight Trucking, Local
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
7
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
4
Heating Oil Dealers
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
6
Household Appliance Stores
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
59
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
6
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Janitorial Services
38
Jewelry Stores
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
58
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
101
Limousine Service
3
Locksmiths
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
2
Mail-Order Houses
4
Marketing Consulting Services
7
Masonry Contractors
44
Meat Markets
3
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Mobile Food Services
4
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
11
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Nail Salons
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
16
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
11
Office Administrative Services
17
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
19
Offices of Chiropractors
9
Offices of Dentists
49
Offices of Lawyers
81
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
31
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Portfolio Management
2
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
2
Quick Printing
4
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
14
Real Estate Investment Trusts
3
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
3
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
9
Residential Remodelers
64
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
18
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
14
Siding Contractors
10
Site Preparation Contractors
38
Small Arms Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
10
Software Publishers
4
Solid Waste Collection
6
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Tax Preparation Services
12
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
2
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
14
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
18
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
3
Used Car Dealers
21
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
10
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
10
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Women's Clothing Stores
11
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
2

Choosing a Company Name

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 should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Manassas, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Virginia business.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Manassas business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Billboard Advertising Best Practices is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Bring in Revenues

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

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads 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.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

With your business being located in Manassas, Virginia, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local Virginia educational institutions. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Manassas entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Manassas. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Manassas and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Manassas, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Manassas, Virginia

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Virginia

Starting a Business in Madison
Starting a Business in Marion

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

 

 

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