Nevada Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Carson City, Nevada

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

What Type of Business Should You Start?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free 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 Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Remember that starting a business in Carson City has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Carson City than others. Don't forget to review Carson City demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Carson City, Nevada Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9154
5-9 Employees
2622
10-19 Employees
1806
20-49 Employees
1110
50-99 Employees
396
100-249 Employees
216
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
6
All Carson City Businesses
15346

As a new Carson City entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Carson City 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
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
5
Art Dealers
2
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
8
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
21
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Publishers
2
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
13
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
3
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
21
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Collection Agencies
5
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
24
Computer Training
4
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Consumer Lending
8
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
4
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
5
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
38
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
5
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
18
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Educational Support Services
5
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing
1
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
30
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
6
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
11
Floor Covering Stores
7
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
3
Framing Contractors
10
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
23
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
3
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
7
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
7
Home Health Equipment Rental
5
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
5
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
36
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
17
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
25
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
7
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
12
Landscaping Services
23
Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
13
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
45
Linen Supply
1
Locksmiths
4
Mail-Order Houses
4
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
5
Marketing Consulting Services
31
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
8
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
5
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
5
Mobile Food Services
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
11
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
7
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
8
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
9
New Housing Operative Builders
5
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
10
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
43
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
7
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
25
Offices of Chiropractors
12
Offices of Dentists
27
Offices of Lawyers
45
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
9
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Passenger Car Rental
2
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Plate Work Manufacturing
2
Political Organizations
2
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
3
Powder Metallurgy Part Manufacturing
1
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
3
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
4
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
1
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
5
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
4
Residential Property Managers
12
Residential Remodelers
17
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
5
Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills
1
Sales Financing
7
Savings Institutions
1
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
5
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
14
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
12
Software Publishers
4
Solid Waste Collection
2
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Support Activities for Metal Mining
1
Tax Preparation Services
9
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
15
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
8
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
8
Tobacco Stores
1
Tour Operators
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
4
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
2
Used Car Dealers
9
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
22
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
4
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Carson City Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Nevada. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Carson City.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Selecting a Name For Your Venture

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Carson City, it's very important that you make sure no other Nevada company is using the business name you want to use.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Carson City business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Find Start-Up Capital.

For Carson City entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, we have assembled a List of Nevada Angel Investors and our List of Nevada Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Carson City or are selling to customers throughout Nevada, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Carson City. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

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

We are here to help Carson City businesses to be successful. 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 Carson City, Nevada

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

  • Resources for Carson City, Nevada Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Carson City 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.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Nevada

Starting a Business in Caliente
Starting a Business in Elko

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Nevada
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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