North Carolina Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Matthews, North Carolina

Contemplating starting a business in Matthews, North Carolina? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Matthews.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Most new ventures fail, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Matthews. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

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 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 Starting an Armenian Church guide or our Opening a Helicopter Pilots & Transportation Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Matthews. Some businesses will do better in Matthews than others. Study Matthews demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Matthews, North Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9186
5-9 Employees
3363
10-19 Employees
1872
20-49 Employees
1359
50-99 Employees
369
100-249 Employees
216
250-499 Employees
72
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
0
All Matthews Businesses
16455

As a new Matthews entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Matthews 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
9
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
11
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
7
Business Associations
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
15
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
14
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Systems Design Services
17
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
2
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
3
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
23
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
2
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Electrical Contractors
24
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
10
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
15
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
14
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
10
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
11
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
48
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
12
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
4
Hardware Stores
6
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Homes for the Elderly
2
Hunting and Trapping
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
33
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
6
Jewelry Stores
4
Land Subdivision
15
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
35
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
40
Limousine Service
2
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
9
Masonry Contractors
14
Meat Markets
2
Media Representatives
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Nail Salons
3
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
13
News Syndicates
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Office Administrative Services
7
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
11
Offices of Chiropractors
18
Offices of Dentists
34
Offices of Lawyers
14
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
7
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
19
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
4
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
6
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Remodelers
25
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
8
Sales Financing
2
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Siding Contractors
7
Site Preparation Contractors
7
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
14
Software Publishers
4
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Sports and Recreation Instruction
9
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
5
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
11
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
2
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Used Merchandise Stores
8
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
10
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Window Treatment Stores
4
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
5
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Company Formation in Matthews, North Carolina

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

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 North Carolina, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in North Carolina. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Offshore Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Matthews, North Carolina, our information on Incorporating in North Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in North Carolina.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Matthews business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Matthews entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of North Carolina Angel Investors and our List of North Carolina Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Matthews business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Landing Big Customers 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.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Matthews businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Matthews and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Matthews, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Matthews, North Carolina

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

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

Starting a Business in Marshville
Starting a Business in Mebane

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

 

 

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