South Dakota Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Contemplating starting a business in Sioux Falls, South Dakota? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7195
5-9 Employees
3206
10-19 Employees
2169
20-49 Employees
1683
50-99 Employees
552
100-249 Employees
345
250-499 Employees
96
500-999 Employees
36
1000+ Employees
15
All Sioux Falls Businesses
15297

As a new Sioux Falls entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Sioux Falls 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
19
Armored Car Services
2
Art Dealers
6
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
24
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
4
Barber Shops
5
Beauty Salons
47
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
4
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
6
Bowling Centers
4
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
16
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
4
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
18
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
9
Casino Hotels
1
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
10
Caterers
5
Charter Bus Industry
3
Child and Youth Services
5
Child Day Care Services
50
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
26
Claims Adjusting
6
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Collection Agencies
13
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
10
Commercial Photography
2
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
7
Computer and Software Stores
8
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
13
Computer Training
2
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Consumer Lending
15
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
6
Convenience Stores
11
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
11
Credit Bureaus
3
Credit Card Issuing
8
Credit Unions
16
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
26
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
2
Dental Laboratories
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
10
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
8
Display Advertising
2
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
5
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
55
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
35
Educational Support Services
3
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
43
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
4
Employment Placement Agencies
5
Engineering Services
31
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
17
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
19
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
21
Floor Covering Stores
8
Flooring Contractors
14
Florists
12
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
9
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
26
Freight Transportation Arrangement
18
Full-Service Restaurants
105
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
24
General Freight Trucking, Local
27
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
4
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
8
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
31
Glass and Glazing Contractors
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
8
Graphic Design Services
8
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
5
Hardware Stores
10
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
10
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
4
Home Health Care Services
9
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
7
Human Rights Organizations
5
Hunting and Trapping
2
Industrial Launderers
9
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
136
Interior Design Services
8
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
4
Internet Service Providers
5
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
24
Janitorial Services
34
Jewelry Stores
19
Junior Colleges
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
8
Landscaping Services
59
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
9
Limited-Service Restaurants
129
Limousine Service
5
Linen Supply
1
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
3
Logging
1
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
6
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
6
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
10
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
5
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
10
Motion Picture and Video Production
9
Motor Vehicle Towing
7
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
1
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
6
New Car Dealers
15
New Housing Operative Builders
27
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
News Syndicates
2
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
5
Nursing Care Facilities
11
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
36
Offices of Chiropractors
38
Offices of Dentists
64
Offices of Lawyers
100
Offices of Other Holding Companies
10
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
4
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
7
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
29
Parking Lots and Garages
2
Passenger Car Rental
5
Payroll Services
2
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
19
Photography Studios, Portrait
12
Plastics Bag Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
7
Portfolio Management
7
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
8
Public Relations Agencies
4
Quick Printing
6
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
18
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
3
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Repossession Services
2
Residential Property Managers
13
Residential Remodelers
43
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
11
Sales Financing
7
Sawmills
1
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
3
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
37
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
22
Siding Contractors
9
Sign Manufacturing
4
Site Preparation Contractors
14
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
28
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
11
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
25
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Sports Teams and Clubs
4
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
6
Television Broadcasting
4
Temporary Help Services
17
Temporary Shelters
3
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
3
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
2
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
5
Travel Agencies
8
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
2
Used Car Dealers
27
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
10
Used Merchandise Stores
23
Vending Machine Operators
6
Veterinary Services
13
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Voluntary Health Organizations
8
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Web Search Portals
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
38
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wineries
1
Women's Clothing Stores
32
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Sioux Falls, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Five Franchise Opportunities To Watch. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Jersey Mike's Submarines & Salads and Triple O's. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Fitness Franchises and Party Supply Franchises.

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

Naming the Company

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.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

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

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

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in South Dakota.

Marketing Your New Company

Whether your goal is to attract Sioux Falls customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Working with an Advertising Agency 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.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

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

With your business being located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local South Dakota educational institutions. It's also beneficial to see if there are any Sioux Falls networking organizations.

Never Give Up

Most new Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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

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

Starting a Business in Selby
Starting a Business in Sisseton

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

 

 

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