Doing Business in the City

Greenville's Vision

The City of Greenville is Upstate South Carolina's largest municipality and is a great place to start or expand a business. The City's Economic Development Department wants to ensure that your business is successful from the first day of operation and for many years into the future.

Our strategies for business recruitment, retention and redevelopment have evolved around a vision for a thriving state-of-the-art community in which numerous opportunities exist to live, work, and play. The City of Greenville is alive and flourishing as the home to offices, shops, restaurants, entertainment, and many residents, making it a great area for economic investment.

Ribbon cutting at the opening of A Polished Man in downtown Greenville

CITY OF GREENVILLE BUSINESS LICENSE 

(LOCATED ON THE 4TH FLOOR OF CITY HALL)

Anyone operating or engaged in any type of business inside the city limits of Greenville, whether physically located inside the city or outside the city, must obtain a business license, prior to beginning operation. Licenses are based on the gross receipts/revenue for the previous year, unless it is the first year, at which point it is based on a reasonable estimate from the start of operation to December 31 of that year. The cost of the license depends on the type of business you are operating and the category in which your business is classified. Please contact City staff for assistance in determining your business license classification prior to applying for a business license.

The City of Greenville provides an abatement of the business license fee for "new businesses" of 100% in the first year of operation, 66% in the second year and 33% in the third year for the following classifications: new corporate headquarters, manufacturing, research and development and high technology companies on a city-wide basis. The abatement is also available for new retail businesses in the Central Business District; retail and artists in the West End; professional services in the Pleasantburg Drive overlay district; retail, artists and professional services in the Village of West Greenville and for all categories of businesses that annex into the City with some exceptions.

Business Licenses