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Starting a Small Business in North Dakota

Welcome to the Small Business Startup North Dakota Franchise Directory! Here, you'll find everything you need to begin your journey to business ownership in The Roughrider State. If you're considering starting a small business in North Dakota, read on for an overview of the state economy. Afterward, explore business opportunities and franchises for sale with our North Dakota Franchise Search Tool.

North Dakota Industry Trends

If an industry is performing well, business opportunities within it are often worth exploring. Begin your market research with this list of the North Dakota economy's most prominent industries in 2022. Afterward, take your research one step further by investigating niche markets and B2B opportunities within one of these top revenue-generating industries.

Corn, Wheat & Soybean Wholesaling (Revenue: $12.2 billion)
Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction (Revenue: $10.4 billion)
Grocery Wholesaling (Revenue: $5.6 billion)
Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations (Revenue: $5.3 billion)
Hospitals (Revenue: $5.0 billion)
Petroleum Refining (Revenue: $4.8 billion)
New Car Dealers (Revenue: $3.7 billion)
Gas Stations with Convenience Stores (Revenue: $3.2 billion)
Oil & Gas Field Services (Revenue: $3.1 billion)
Commercial Banking (Revenue: $3.0 billion)

North Dakota Sector Statistics

When starting a small business in North Dakota, gross domestic product (GDP) is another tool entrepreneurs can use to make investment decisions. Generally, a steadily rising GDP means that people are spending more money and creating more jobs.

The three sectors that contributed most to North Dakota's GDP in 2022 were Mining; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; and Real Estate, Rentals & Leasing. Combined, these three sectors represented 43.9% of the state's GDP. In 2022, the sectors that contributed most to North Dakota's GDP included:

Mining (Value: $12.1 billion* | Annual growth: 0.1%)
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (Value: $6.4 billion* | Annual growth: 13.6%)
Real Estate, Rentals & Leasing (Value: $4.6 billion* | Annual growth: -3.0%)
Healthcare & Social Assistance (Value: $4.4 billion* | Annual growth: 2.3%)
Manufacturing (Value: $4.3 billion* | Annual growth: 8.0%)
Wholesale Trade (Value: $3.5 billion* | Annual growth: -4.3%)
Retail Trade (Value: $2.9 billion* | Annual growth: -0.5%)
Finance & Insurance (Value: $2.7 billion* | Annual growth: 5.9%)
Information (Value: $1.8 billion* | Annual growth: 4.3%)
Construction (Value: $1.8 billion* | Annual growth: -7.7%)
Transportation & Warehousing (Value: $1.7 billion* | Annual growth: -7.0%)
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (Value: $1.5 billion* | Annual growth: -3.8%)
Utilities (Value: $1.2 billion* | Annual growth: -0.6%)
Accommodation & Food Services (Value: $884.6 million* | Annual growth: -1.1%)
Administration, Business Support & Waste Management Services (Value: $844 million* | Annual growth: 5.9%)

*Approximately

North Dakota Population Statistics

A growing population often means greater demand and a steady flow of new customers. If you are undecided about the location of your new business, start by investigating population statistics. Afterward, take your research a step further by exploring population demographics. Doing so lets you decide whether a location is a good match for your target market.

In 2022, counties with the highest populations in North Dakota included:

Cass (Population: 187,800 | Annual growth rate*: 1.1%)
Burleigh (Population: 97,000 | Annual growth rate*: 0.4%)
Grand Forks (Population: 68,800 | Annual growth rate*: -0.5%)
Ward (Population: 68,100 | Annual growth rate*: -0.3%)
Williams (Population: 41,300 | Annual growth rate*: 3.2%)
Stark (Population: 33,100 | Annual growth rate*: 1.5%)
Morton (Population: 31,900 | Annual growth rate*: 0.7%)
Stutsman (Population: 20,100 | Annual growth rate*: -0.9%)
Mckenzie (Population: 16,600 | Annual growth rate*: 4.3%)
Richland (Population: 16,100 | Annual growth rate*: -0.2%)
Rolette (Population: 13,900 | Annual growth rate*: -0.8%)
Ramsey (Population: 11,200 | Annual growth rate*: -0.6%)
Mountrail (Population: 10,600 | Annual growth rate*: 0.7%)
Barnes (Population: 10,300 | Annual growth rate*: -0.7%)
Walsh (Population: 10,200 | Annual growth rate*: -1.0%)

*From 2017 to 2022.

North Dakota Business Opportunities

We hope this snapshot of the North Dakota economy helps as you investigate business opportunities in The Roughrider State! Starting a small business in North Dakota is an exciting journey, and we know you're probably eager to get started. But remember, take your time to explore all your options. While you'll always have the "opportunity" to start your own business, sometimes, it makes more sense to invest in an opportunity that already exists. These are called "Franchise Opportunities," and they offer several benefits, including the recognition of a well-established brand and a proven track record of success.

To learn more, start by exploring franchise opportunities in North Dakota below!

Explore Opportunities and Insights

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Five Star Painting

Ranked as a top Painting franchise by 2026 Entrepreneur Franchise 500.82,200 - 194,600 initial investment rangerefer to 2026 Five Star Painting FDD for details.Request free info and one of our franchise experts will be in touch

$50,000 Min Cash Required

CartCapital - Subscription Based E-Commerce Store

Did you know you could partner with a company to build out your entire e-commerce store, from product research to inventory acquisition to marketing? Yep You can easily make 6-7 figures in passive income when we build your e-commerce empire and money-making machine from the ground up All it takes is an upfront investment, and our team will do the rest. By this time next year, you could be sitting on a 7 figure empire. Learn more now

$30,000 Min Cash Required

Batteries Plus

Over 30 years of consistent growth. Ongoing support. Multiple revenue streams. Whether youre looking into owning your very first store, or youre interested in adding to your existing franchise portfolio, Batteries Plus is here to help. Learn more about the costs, benefits, and available locations today

$100,000 Min Cash Required

PickUp USA Fitness

PickUp USA Fitness is redefining the basketball gym experience through officiated PickUp Games, youth basketball development, fitness, and community driven programming. With over 14 years in business and a scalable membership model, we are actively expanding nationwide and looking for motivated franchise partners to grow the brand in underserved markets across the country.

$150,000 Min Cash Required

Griswold Home Care

Griswold Home Care offers a proven franchise opportunity backed by 43 years of caring for people and building successful businesses. As an award-winning Best of Home Care provider with top owner satisfaction honors, Griswold combines compassionate care with advanced technology, including automation and AI, to amplify its impact. From day one, the Home Office team supports training, compliance, marketing, and operations to help you launch, grow, and scale a meaningful business.

$100,000 Min Cash Required

PostalAnnex

Today's busy lifestyles demand the services PostalAnnex offers. Capitalize on this demand and open your own business After retiring from the printing business PostalAnnex founder Jack Lentz began working out of his home as a business consultant. He soon realized the need for mailing faxing copying shipping and other services to belong under one roof. As a result he created the first PostalAnnex store business franchise located next door to a post office in the University City neighborhood of San Diego CA. Our franchises serve a growing customer base of small and home-based businesses that lacks the resources our stores offer. Today's hectic lifestyle requires a one-stop service center for businesses that don't have an administrative assistant to take care of those daily errands. Saving our consumers time is what keeps them coming back. By being a local neighborhood business.

Starting a Small Business in North Dakota