Virginia Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Springfield, Virginia

Contemplating starting a business in Springfield, Virginia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Springfield.

Springfield, Virginia Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
76180
5-9 Employees
26920
10-19 Employees
20100
20-49 Employees
14280
50-99 Employees
5040
100-249 Employees
3240
250-499 Employees
660
500-999 Employees
480
1000+ Employees
60
All Springfield Businesses
146960

As a new Springfield entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Springfield 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
3
Amusement Arcades
3
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
3
Armored Car Services
2
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
8
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
8
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
33
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Book Stores
6
Books Printing
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
5
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
19
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Clothing Accessories Stores
7
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
7
Commercial Photography
4
Computer and Software Stores
9
Computer Facilities Management Services
10
Computer Systems Design Services
68
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
10
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Couriers
4
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
5
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
8
Educational Support Services
3
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
23
Electron Tube Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
40
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
4
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
13
Finish Carpentry Contractors
14
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
14
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
12
Flooring Contractors
15
Flour Milling
1
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
3
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
70
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
35
General Freight Trucking, Local
6
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
17
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
4
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Historical Sites
1
HMO Medical Centers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
6
Homes for the Elderly
3
Human Rights Organizations
4
Industrial Launderers
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
31
Interior Design Services
4
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
2
Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Janitorial Services
41
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
22
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
89
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
2
Masonry Contractors
11
Materials Recovery Facilities
2
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Mixed Mode Transit Systems
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
5
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
6
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
6
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Office Administrative Services
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Dentists
55
Offices of Lawyers
26
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
9
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
26
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
2
Prepress Services
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
3
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
12
Quick Printing
5
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
8
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Residential Property Managers
13
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
16
Savings Institutions
4
Sawmills
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
6
Shoe Stores
18
Siding Contractors
9
Sign Manufacturing
6
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
18
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
3
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
4
Travel Agencies
9
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
18
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
12
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
23

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Springfield, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Savoia T'Go Franchise and La Quinta Inn & Suites. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Carpet Care Franchises and Leisure and Entertainment Franchises.

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

Naming the Company

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Springfield, it's very important that you make sure no other Virginia company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Virginia.

Marketing Your New Startup

To grow your Springfield business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Internet Advertising is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Successful business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Springfield, Virginia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Virginia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Springfield entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Springfield. 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 Springfield businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Springfield, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Springfield, Virginia

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Virginia

Starting a Business in South Hill
Starting a Business in Stafford

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Virginia
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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