South Carolina Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Rock Hill, South Carolina

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

Which Business to Choose?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

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 Full Service Laundries Business guide or our Starting a Moving & Storage Equipment & Supplies Retail Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Rock Hill. Some businesses will do better in Rock Hill than others. Make sure you fully understand Rock Hill demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Rock Hill, South Carolina Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
10755
5-9 Employees
4248
10-19 Employees
2817
20-49 Employees
2151
50-99 Employees
738
100-249 Employees
396
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
9
All Rock Hill Businesses
21141

As a new Rock Hill entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Rock Hill 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
Advertising Agencies
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
8
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
10
Boat Dealers
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
4
Car Washes
8
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
27
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
12
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Training
1
Consumer Lending
24
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
12
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
8
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Custom Roll Forming
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
2
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
8
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
3
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
2
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
4
Engineering Services
16
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
9
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
9
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
12
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
8
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
5
Freight Transportation Arrangement
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Full-Service Restaurants
64
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
13
General Automotive Repair
32
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
5
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
5
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
4
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
7
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
3
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
39
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
3
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
29
Jewelry Stores
11
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
28
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
79
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Machine Shops
7
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
6
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
6
Masonry Contractors
5
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
8
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
New Car Dealers
12
New Housing Operative Builders
7
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
15
Offices of Chiropractors
16
Offices of Dentists
37
Offices of Lawyers
73
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Political Organizations
3
Portfolio Management
3
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Quick Printing
4
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
11
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Remodelers
18
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Sales Financing
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
8
Security Guards and Patrol Services
4
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
12
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
14
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Software Publishers
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Shelters
3
Thread Mills
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire Dealers
12
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
12
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
8
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
8
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Rock Hill, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Protecting Your Franchise Territory. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include Let's Eat! and Pirtek. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Restaurant Franchises and Auto Rental Franchises.

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

Forming a Company in Rock Hill, South Carolina

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

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in South Carolina, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in South Carolina. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Rock Hill, 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 Rock Hill business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Rock Hill entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of South Carolina Angel Investors and our List of South Carolina Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Startup

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

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Newspaper Advertising Costs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

What's Next?

Most new Rock Hill businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Rock Hill and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Rock Hill, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Rock Hill, South Carolina

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

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