South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Contemplating starting a business in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Mount Pleasant.

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Most new companies don't make it, in part because the founder did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Mount Pleasant. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at Starting a Company. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
41800
5-9 Employees
13890
10-19 Employees
7560
20-49 Employees
5820
50-99 Employees
1710
100-249 Employees
600
250-499 Employees
120
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
0
All Mount Pleasant Businesses
71530

As a new Mount Pleasant entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Mount Pleasant 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
5
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Art Dealers
6
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
28
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Boat Dealers
3
Book Publishers
4
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
5
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
16
Civic and Social Organizations
9
Claims Adjusting
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
11
Computer Training
1
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
4
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
5
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
3
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electrical Contractors
12
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
37
Environmental Consulting Services
6
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Family Clothing Stores
13
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finfish Fishing
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
14
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
21
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Service Contractors
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
7
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Full-Service Restaurants
86
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
4
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
23
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
14
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
7
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
3
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Household Appliance Stores
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
35
Interior Design Services
9
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
10
Janitorial Services
25
Jewelry Stores
8
Land Subdivision
9
Landscape Architectural Services
4
Landscaping Services
44
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
44
Locksmiths
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
4
Marine Cargo Handling
4
Marketing Consulting Services
13
Masonry Contractors
7
Meat Markets
4
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
10
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
19
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
14
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Chiropractors
14
Offices of Dentists
50
Offices of Lawyers
73
Offices of Optometrists
9
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
18
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
20
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
5
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
11
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
13
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Portfolio Management
5
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
9
Real Estate Credit
13
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
12
Residential Remodelers
31
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
4
Savings Institutions
5
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
13
Siding Contractors
5
Site Preparation Contractors
7
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
17
Software Publishers
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
7
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Television Broadcasting
2
Temporary Help Services
9
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tour Operators
2
Travel Agencies
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
11
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
19
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Web Search Portals
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
16
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
18

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Mount Pleasant, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as The Disadvantages of Franchise Ownership. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include HomeTask.com Handyman Services and Affiliated Car Rental. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Gift Items Franchises and Home Furnishings Franchises.

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

Is Buying an Existing Mount Pleasant Business a Good Strategy?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in South Carolina. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Mount Pleasant.

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

Naming the Company

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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Mount Pleasant, it's imperative that you check now that no other South Carolina company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

It's essential that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

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. If you are starting a business in South Carolina, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in South Carolina. In fact, you are allowed to 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 are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Avoiding Personal Liability in Business. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, our information on Incorporating in South Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in South Carolina.

Marketing Your New Startup

To grow your Mount Pleasant business, you need a excellent marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Bus Bench Advertising Costs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Mount Pleasant and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Mount Pleasant 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 Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

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

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

Starting a Business in Moncks Corner
Starting a Business in Myrtle Beach

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

 

 

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