Are you starting a business in Alpharetta, Georgia? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Alpharetta.
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Alpharetta. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
Alpharetta, Georgia Demographic Information
Alpharetta has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Alpharetta demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Alpharetta.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
10733 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2780 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1977 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1530 |
| 50-99 Employees |
711 |
| 100-249 Employees |
378 |
| 250-499 Employees |
141 |
| 500-999 Employees |
45 |
| 1000+ Employees |
24 |
| All Alpharetta Businesses |
18319 |
As a new Alpharetta entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Alpharetta 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 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
23 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
22 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
4 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
10 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
62 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
17 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Publishers |
3 |
| Book Stores |
6 |
| Building Inspection Services |
5 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
6 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
11 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
7 |
| Caterers |
12 |
| Child and Youth Services |
7 |
| Child Day Care Services |
50 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Claims Adjusting |
8 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
7 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
| Commercial Photography |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
3 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
14 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
10 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
246 |
| Computer Training |
4 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
6 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
12 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Couriers |
9 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
4 |
| Credit Bureaus |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
203 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
7 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
4 |
| Digital Printing |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
20 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
8 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
7 |
| Document Preparation Services |
7 |
| Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
16 |
| Educational Support Services |
5 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
43 |
| Electronic Shopping |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
11 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
24 |
| Engineering Services |
74 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
5 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
12 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
11 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
8 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
18 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
9 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
29 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
31 |
| Flat Glass Manufacturing |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
9 |
| Flooring Contractors |
6 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
10 |
| Food Service Contractors |
31 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
5 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
12 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
179 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
9 |
| Furniture Stores |
19 |
| General Automotive Repair |
30 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
23 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
6 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
9 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
27 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
10 |
| Hardware Stores |
7 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Centers |
6 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
9 |
| Home Health Care Services |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
10 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
2 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
106 |
| Interior Design Services |
21 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
6 |
| Internet Service Providers |
3 |
| Investigation Services |
5 |
| Investment Advice |
40 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
1 |
| Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
39 |
| Jewelry Stores |
20 |
| Land Subdivision |
9 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
6 |
| Landscaping Services |
73 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
144 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
6 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
63 |
| Masonry Contractors |
17 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
3 |
| Meat Markets |
4 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
5 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
34 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
12 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Music Publishers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
3 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
11 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
21 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| News Syndicates |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
17 |
| Nonwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
35 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
10 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
34 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
41 |
| Offices of Dentists |
90 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
81 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
15 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
22 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
10 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
25 |
| Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
3 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Payroll Services |
10 |
| Periodical Publishers |
5 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
9 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
9 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
20 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
16 |
| Plastics Bag Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
7 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
8 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
15 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
16 |
| Quick Printing |
6 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
5 |
| Real Estate Credit |
44 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
9 |
| Remediation Services |
3 |
| Residential Property Managers |
14 |
| Residential Remodelers |
42 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
6 |
| Roofing Contractors |
8 |
| Sales Financing |
14 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
17 |
| Securities Brokerage |
26 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
6 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
12 |
| Siding Contractors |
4 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
5 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
16 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
33 |
| Software Publishers |
39 |
| Software Reproducing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
6 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
10 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
13 |
| Storage Battery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
10 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
11 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
4 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
59 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
15 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
5 |
| Tobacco Stores |
4 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
15 |
| Used Car Dealers |
11 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
9 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
7 |
| Veterinary Services |
21 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
8 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
3 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
139 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
6 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
54 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
24 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Alpharetta, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Find Financing for Franchises. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Secure Eco Shred America and Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as ATM Franchises and Home Repair Franchises.
Note on Alpharetta Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Alpharetta.
Selecting a Name For Your Startup
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Alpharetta, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Georgia company using the business name you have chosen.
Company Formation in Alpharetta, Georgia
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Georgia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Georgia. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Corporate Formalities. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Alpharetta, Georgia, our information on Incorporating in Georgia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Georgia.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Alpharetta, Georgia, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Georgia educational institutions. We also recommend you look into Alpharetta networking organizations.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Alpharetta. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Alpharetta and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Alpharetta entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Alpharetta, Georgia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Alpharetta.
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