North Carolina Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Southport, North Carolina

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

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

Most new businesses fail, 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.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Southport. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

What Business to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Apartment House Supply Business guide or our Opening an Irrigation Pumps Business guide.

Remember that your new startup will be located in Southport. Some businesses will do better in Southport than others. Make sure you fully understand Southport demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Southport, North Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2544
5-9 Employees
765
10-19 Employees
495
20-49 Employees
243
50-99 Employees
54
100-249 Employees
36
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
9
All Southport Businesses
4173

As a new Southport entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Southport 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
Architectural Services
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Car Washes
1
Caterers
3
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Credit Unions
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Display Advertising
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Engineering Services
1
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
6
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
13
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Jewelry Stores
5
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
8
Limited-Service Restaurants
15
Marinas
1
Marine Cargo Handling
1
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Museums
1
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
4
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
6
Offices of Lawyers
8
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Packing and Crating
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Portfolio Management
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Tax Preparation Services
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire Dealers
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
3

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Southport, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising My Business. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include Church's Chicken and Country Kitchen International. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Closet Design and Construction Franchises and Payroll Service Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Southport Business?

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

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Choosing a Business Name

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.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

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 Southport, it's imperative that you check now that no other North Carolina company is using the business name you want to use.

Bring in Revenues

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

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Closing Sales Techniques offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Never Give Up

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

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

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

More Startup Articles for North Carolina Cities

Starting a Business in Southern Pines
Starting a Business in Sparta

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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