Nevada Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Reno, Nevada

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

Which Business to Choose?

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 Good Business Ideas.

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 Opening a Yacht Service & Repair Business guide or our Starting a Turbines Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Reno. If Reno already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Reno demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Reno, Nevada Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
42165
5-9 Employees
13839
10-19 Employees
9720
20-49 Employees
6954
50-99 Employees
2376
100-249 Employees
1296
250-499 Employees
342
500-999 Employees
117
1000+ Employees
99
All Reno Businesses
76908

As a new Reno entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Reno 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
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
5
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
5
Apprenticeship Training
4
Architectural Services
43
Armored Car Services
2
Art Dealers
7
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
7
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
29
Automotive Transmission Repair
9
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
3
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
12
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
3
Boat Dealers
3
Book Publishers
6
Book Stores
8
Building Inspection Services
9
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
20
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
7
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
16
Casino Hotels
18
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
5
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
2
Child and Youth Services
10
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
21
Claims Adjusting
12
Clothing Accessories Stores
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
9
Collection Agencies
10
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
12
Commercial Photography
3
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
21
Computer Systems Design Services
50
Confectionery and Nut Stores
5
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Consumer Lending
23
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
31
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
11
Couriers
13
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
9
Credit Bureaus
3
Credit Unions
12
Custom Computer Programming Services
62
Custom Roll Forming
1
Dental Laboratories
8
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Digital Printing
7
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Direct Mail Advertising
5
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
8
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
4
Discount Department Stores
5
Document Preparation Services
12
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
10
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
77
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
23
Educational Support Services
7
Electric Power Distribution
6
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
16
Elementary and Secondary Schools
12
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
10
Engineering Services
115
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
6
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
31
Family Planning Centers
5
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
13
Finish Carpentry Contractors
21
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
38
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
11
Flooring Contractors
18
Florists
12
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
28
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Framing Contractors
27
Freight Transportation Arrangement
8
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
6
Furniture Stores
34
General Automotive Repair
70
General Freight Trucking, Local
17
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
44
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Gold Ore Mining
10
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
7
Grantmaking Foundations
19
Graphic Design Services
24
Greeting Card Publishers
1
Hardware Manufacturing
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
4
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
2
Heating Oil Dealers
3
Historical Sites
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Home Centers
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
7
Home Health Care Services
20
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
24
Household Appliance Stores
4
Human Rights Organizations
5
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
5
Industrial Launderers
2
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
175
Interior Design Services
25
Internet Service Providers
7
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
2
Investigation Services
14
Investment Advice
24
Iron Foundries
1
Iron Ore Mining
1
Janitorial Services
76
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
23
Landscape Architectural Services
6
Landscaping Services
107
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
27
Limited-Service Restaurants
190
Linen Supply
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
7
Locksmiths
4
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Machine Shops
7
Mail-Order Houses
12
Marketing Consulting Services
39
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
20
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
6
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
11
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
25
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
31
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
15
Museums
5
Music Publishers
2
Musical Groups and Artists
7
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
8
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
22
New Housing Operative Builders
19
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
17
Office Administrative Services
43
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
12
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
12
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
8
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
78
Offices of Chiropractors
36
Offices of Dentists
139
Offices of Optometrists
31
Offices of Other Holding Companies
93
Offices of Podiatrists
12
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
21
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
14
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
4
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
2
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
51
Parking Lots and Garages
7
Passenger Car Rental
25
Payroll Services
12
Periodical Publishers
9
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
13
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
18
Photography Studios, Portrait
16
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Political Organizations
4
Portfolio Management
34
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
2
Private Mail Centers
13
Professional Employer Organizations
11
Professional Organizations
13
Public Relations Agencies
15
Quick Printing
5
Radio Stations
11
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
4
Real Estate Credit
43
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Record Production
1
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
8
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
1
Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
45
Residential Remodelers
66
Retail Bakeries
9
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
9
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
5
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
11
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
37
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
7
Shoe Stores
31
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
6
Site Preparation Contractors
51
Skiing Facilities
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
67
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
15
Solid Waste Collection
8
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
41
Sports and Recreation Instruction
16
Support Activities for Metal Mining
7
Tax Preparation Services
31
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
6
Telemarketing Bureaus
9
Telephone Answering Services
8
Television Broadcasting
6
Temporary Shelters
5
Testing Laboratories
4
Textile Bag Mills
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
26
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tobacco Stores
8
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tour Operators
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Travel Agencies
13
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Uranium-Radium-Vanadium Ore Mining
1
Used Car Dealers
38
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
29
Vending Machine Operators
5
Veterinary Services
27
Video Tape and Disc Rental
20
Voluntary Health Organizations
11
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
43
Window Treatment Stores
9
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
40
Women's Clothing Stores
24
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Reno Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Nevada. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Reno.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Having a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

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

Raising Money for Your Company

Getting your Reno 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.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Angel Investors.

For Reno entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, you'll want to take a look at our List of Nevada Angel Investors and our List of Nevada Venture Capital Firms.

Ramping Up Sales

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Reno business to do well.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Anticipating Prospect Responses is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Some Interesting Reno Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Reno entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

What's Next?

Most new Reno 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 Reno and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Reno, Nevada

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

  • Resources for Reno, Nevada Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Reno entrepreneurs.
  • Nevada Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Nevada.
  • Nevada Small Business Development Center - The Nevada Small Business Development Center is a statewide business assistance outreach program of the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They provide an abundance of free and low cost information, assistance, counseling and training for Nevada Businesses.

More Business Startup Guides for Nevada

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Starting a Business in Sparks

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