North Carolina Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in High Point, North Carolina

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

Choosing the Right Company 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 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 Opening a Mantels Business guide or our Opening a Tents Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in High Point. Some businesses will do better in High Point than others. Only by spending some time analyzing High Point demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

High Point, North Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
15579
5-9 Employees
6108
10-19 Employees
4167
20-49 Employees
3195
50-99 Employees
1404
100-249 Employees
729
250-499 Employees
153
500-999 Employees
45
1000+ Employees
18
All High Point Businesses
31398

As a new High Point entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in High Point 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
Advertising Agencies
8
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
7
Armored Car Services
1
Art Dealers
3
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
20
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
32
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Book Publishers
3
Book Stores
3
Bowling Centers
2
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
4
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
4
Building Inspection Services
4
Business Associations
12
Cafeterias
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child Day Care Services
58
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
9
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
8
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Systems Design Services
11
Computer Training
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
10
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
7
Convenience Stores
21
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
6
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
10
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
4
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Digital Printing
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
4
Display Advertising
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
25
Electronic Shopping
7
Elementary and Secondary Schools
11
Engineering Services
4
Environmental Consulting Services
6
Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Family Clothing Stores
13
Fine Arts Schools
4
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
19
Floor Covering Stores
13
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
7
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
2
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
4
Food Service Contractors
10
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
5
Freight Transportation Arrangement
8
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
8
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
76
Furniture Stores
56
General Automotive Repair
36
General Freight Trucking, Local
9
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
14
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
7
Hardware Manufacturing
5
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
7
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Centers
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
16
Home Health Care Services
10
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Design Services
23
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
5
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
56
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
9
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
29
Jewelry Stores
16
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
27
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
94
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
5
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marketing Consulting Services
11
Masonry Contractors
7
Mattress Manufacturing
7
Meat Markets
3
Medical Laboratories
5
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Metal Stamping
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
14
Motion Picture and Video Production
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
7
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Narrow Fabric Mills
2
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Housing Operative Builders
6
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
7
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
3
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
24
Offices of Chiropractors
16
Offices of Dentists
48
Offices of Lawyers
55
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
4
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
3
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
25
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Photography Studios, Portrait
10
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
3
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
4
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
7
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
8
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Residential Property Managers
7
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
11
Roofing Contractors
3
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
1
Sawmills
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
12
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
5
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
3
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Surface Active Agent Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
12
Taxi Service
3
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
21
Temporary Shelters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
11
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
9
Travel Agencies
7
Used Car Dealers
23
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Used Merchandise Stores
6
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
76
Window Treatment Stores
4
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
14
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
11
Wood Preservation
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around High Point, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Our recommendation is that you investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchising 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 Tutorium, Inc. and Living Lighting. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Party Supply Franchises.

Note on High Point Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in High Point.

Choosing a Company Name

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in High Point, it's imperative that you check now that no other North Carolina company is using the business name you want to use.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your High Point business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. 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 securing funding, such as Business Cash Advances.

For High Point entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of North Carolina Angel Investors and our List of North Carolina Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract High Point customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Buying Radio Ads discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in High Point, North Carolina, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby North Carolina universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any High Point networking organizations.

Now It's Up To You

Most new High Point businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in High Point and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in High Point, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in High Point, North Carolina

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

More Business Startup Guides for North Carolina

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