Virginia Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Woodbridge, Virginia

Thinking about starting a business in Woodbridge, Virginia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Woodbridge.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Woodbridge. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Woodbridge, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9034
5-9 Employees
3262
10-19 Employees
2592
20-49 Employees
1632
50-99 Employees
540
100-249 Employees
288
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
6
All Woodbridge Businesses
17402

As a new Woodbridge entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Woodbridge 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
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
5
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
16
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
41
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
6
Bowling Centers
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
6
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Car Washes
9
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
4
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
57
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
9
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
34
Computer Training
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
4
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
25
Dental Laboratories
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
7
Discount Department Stores
6
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
22
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electrical Contractors
27
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Environmental Consulting Services
4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
8
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
34
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
21
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
13
Floor Covering Stores
12
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
9
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
7
Food Service Contractors
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
89
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
20
General Automotive Repair
47
General Freight Trucking, Local
9
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
10
Glass and Glazing Contractors
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
4
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
10
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
3
Homes for the Elderly
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
37
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
7
Investment Advice
6
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
2
Jewelry Stores
19
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
3
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
28
Language Schools
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
127
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
22
Meat Markets
1
Men's Clothing Stores
10
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Nail Salons
12
New Car Dealers
13
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
8
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
10
Offices of Chiropractors
15
Offices of Lawyers
35
Offices of Optometrists
11
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
31
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Portfolio Management
2
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
13
Real Estate Investment Trusts
4
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
6
Residential Remodelers
67
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Savings Institutions
6
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
9
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
28
Siding Contractors
5
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Solid Waste Collection
2
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
12
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Taxi Service
4
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
3
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
6
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
13
Tobacco Stores
4
Tour Operators
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
13
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
12
Video Tape and Disc Rental
13
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Women's Clothing Stores
26
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Writing a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

To learn more about business plans, read The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Marketing Your New Venture

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

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Internet Advertising is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Woodbridge business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Why Salespeople Fail is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Woodbridge, Virginia, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any Woodbridge networking organizations.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Woodbridge, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Woodbridge and throughout the United States . 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 Woodbridge, Virginia

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

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