Virginia Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Waynesboro, Virginia

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

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.

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Waynesboro. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

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 Starting a Nutrition Centers Business guide or our Starting an Outdoor Advertising & Billboards Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Waynesboro. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Waynesboro. Only by spending some time analyzing Waynesboro demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Waynesboro, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
6210
5-9 Employees
2055
10-19 Employees
1920
20-49 Employees
1005
50-99 Employees
405
100-249 Employees
180
250-499 Employees
30
500-999 Employees
15
1000+ Employees
0
All Waynesboro Businesses
11820

As a new Waynesboro entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Waynesboro 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 Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Art Dealers
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
11
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Business Associations
1
Car Washes
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
3
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
6
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Community Food Services
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Credit Unions
5
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
9
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Engineering Services
5
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Floor Covering Stores
2
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Full-Service Restaurants
22
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
5
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
11
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
10
Jewelry Stores
2
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
10
Limited-Service Restaurants
22
Machine Shops
9
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Stamping
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
18
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Racetracks
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
7
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
3
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Temporary Help Services
5
Tire Dealers
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
8
Women's Clothing Stores
1

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without 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 face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Raising Funding for Your Venture

Getting your Waynesboro business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Waynesboro entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, browse our List of Virginia Angel Investors and our List of Virginia Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Company

Whether your goal is to attract Waynesboro customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. How to Market to Accountants and CPAs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

What's Next?

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

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

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Waynesboro and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Waynesboro, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Waynesboro, Virginia

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

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