South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Chester, South Carolina

Need help starting a business in Chester, South Carolina? We've got the information you need to open a business in Chester.

What Business Are You Starting?

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 Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a River Trips Business guide or our How to Start a Trenching Machines & Equipment Business guide.

Remember that starting a business in Chester has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Chester than others. A critical consideration is whether Chester demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Chester, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9424
5-9 Employees
3984
10-19 Employees
2208
20-49 Employees
1392
50-99 Employees
384
100-249 Employees
288
250-499 Employees
240
500-999 Employees
48
1000+ Employees
0
All Chester Businesses
17968

As a new Chester entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Chester 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
Abrasive Product Manufacturing
1
Adhesive Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Child Day Care Services
9
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Digital Printing
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
4
Family Clothing Stores
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Florists
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
4
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
9
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry Stores
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
11
Machine Shops
1
Masonry Contractors
4
Medical Laboratories
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
6
Offices of Lawyers
8
Offices of Optometrists
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Savings Institutions
1
Sawmills
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Dealers
3
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Weft Knit Fabric Mills
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
2

Selecting a Name For Your Startup

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

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: Branding Advice.

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

Company Formation in Chester, South Carolina

It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in South Carolina, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in South Carolina. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Where to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Chester, South Carolina, our information on Incorporating in South Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in South Carolina.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Chester business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Bank Credit Lines.

For Chester entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of South Carolina Angel Investors and our List of South Carolina Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Chester customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.

We have some useful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Transit Advertising is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Now It's Up To You

You have a dream -- starting a business in Chester. 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 Chester 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 Chester, South Carolina

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

More Business Startup Guides for South Carolina

Starting a Business in Cheraw
Starting a Business in Clemson

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

 

 

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