Virginia Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Radford, Virginia

Need help starting a business in Radford, Virginia? We've got the information you need to open a business in Radford.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most new businesses don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Radford. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Evaluating Your Idea.

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 Starting a Van Leasing Business guide or our Opening an X-Ray Equipment Repair Business guide.

Remember that starting a business in Radford has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Radford than others. A critical consideration is whether Radford demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Radford, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
710
5-9 Employees
339
10-19 Employees
183
20-49 Employees
132
50-99 Employees
36
100-249 Employees
15
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
3
All Radford Businesses
1430

As a new Radford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Radford 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
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Book Stores
2
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
1
Convenience Stores
4
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
5
Explosives Manufacturing
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
2
Florists
3
Food Service Contractors
9
Framing Contractors
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
7
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Home Centers
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Hydroelectric Power Generation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investment Advice
1
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry Stores
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
5
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Machine Shops
4
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Lawyers
11
Offices of Optometrists
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Professional Organizations
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
2
Residential Remodelers
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
1
Small Arms Manufacturing
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Tire Dealers
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Should You Buy an Existing Radford Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Virginia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Radford.

If you are going to be buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Free Business Plan Templates. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

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

Given that you are starting a business in Radford, Virginia, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your learning is to investigate Radford networking organizations.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Radford businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Radford, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Radford, Virginia

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

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