Rhode Island Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Greenville, Rhode Island

Need help starting a business in Greenville, Rhode Island? We've got the information you need to open a business in Greenville.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to go into business for yourself?

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

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Greenville. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Good Business Ideas.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Naturotherapists Business guide or our How to Start a Wholesale Sand & Gravel Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Greenville. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Greenville. A critical consideration is whether Greenville demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Greenville, Rhode Island Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9177
5-9 Employees
3312
10-19 Employees
1932
20-49 Employees
1725
50-99 Employees
483
100-249 Employees
276
250-499 Employees
69
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Greenville Businesses
16974

As a new Greenville entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Greenville 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
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Child Day Care Services
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Bakeries
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
8
Interior Design Services
2
Janitorial Services
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
9
Language Schools
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
10
Machine Shops
1
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Lawyers
5
Offices of Optometrists
3
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
5
Payroll Services
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
5
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
2
Securities Brokerage
2
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Specialty Canning
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Women's Clothing Stores
3

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Greenville, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Our recommendation is that you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Credit and Franchise Purchasing. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Hampton Inn/Hampton Inn & Suites and Hard Times Café. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Party Supply Franchises.

Note on Greenville Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Greenville, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Naming the Company

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Greenville, it's critical that you ensure that no other Rhode Island company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Rhode Island.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Greenville business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. 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 Business Credit Evaluation.

For Greenville entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Rhode Island Angel Investors and our List of Rhode Island Venture Capital Firms.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Greenville, 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 Greenville 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 Greenville, Rhode Island

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

More Business Startup Guides for Rhode Island

Starting a Business in East Providence
Starting a Business in Jamestown

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Rhode Island
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

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