South Carolina Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Columbia, South Carolina
Contemplating starting a business in Columbia, South Carolina? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Columbia.
What Type of Business Should You Start?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.
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 Opening a Consumer Protection Services Business guide or our How to Start a Security Systems & Services Business guide.
Remember that starting a business in Columbia has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Columbia. Don't forget to review Columbia demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Columbia, South Carolina Demographic Information
Columbia has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Columbia demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Columbia.
Businesses
As a new Columbia entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Columbia 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.
Businesses
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Columbia, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include PremierGarage and Carl's Jr. Restaurants. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Vending Franchises and eBay Franchises.
Note on Columbia Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Columbia, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Company Formation in Columbia, South Carolina
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Incorporation Advice. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Columbia, South Carolina, our information on Incorporating in South Carolina may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in South Carolina.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Columbia business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Columbia entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of South Carolina Angel Investors and our List of South Carolina Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Columbia or are selling to customers throughout South Carolina, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Writing Great Proposals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
The best business owners know that they don't know everything.
Given that you are starting a business in Columbia, South Carolina, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby South Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Columbia entrepreneurs.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Columbia. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Columbia and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Columbia 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 Columbia, South Carolina
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Columbia.
- Resources for Columbia, South Carolina Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Columbia entrepreneurs.
- South Carolina Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in South Carolina.
- South Carolina Small Business Development Center - The South Carolina Small Business Development Center provides consulting services to small and medium enterprises through more than 14 locations across the state.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in South Carolina
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Starting a Business in Conway
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Starting a Business Guides for Other States
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