Thinking about starting a business in Americus, Georgia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Americus.
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?
Before quitting your day job, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Americus. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. 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.
What Business to Start
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? 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 How to Start a Dental Technicians Business guide or our Opening a Racks Manufacturer guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Americus has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Americus than others. Don't forget to review Americus demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Americus, Georgia Demographic Information
Americus has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Americus demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Americus.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1812 |
| 5-9 Employees |
876 |
| 10-19 Employees |
492 |
| 20-49 Employees |
348 |
| 50-99 Employees |
114 |
| 100-249 Employees |
54 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
12 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Americus Businesses |
3720 |
As a new Americus entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Americus 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 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
8 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
3 |
| Boat Building |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
9 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Concrete Pipe Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
7 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Cotton Ginning |
1 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
2 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
18 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
8 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
17 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
7 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
18 |
| Logging |
4 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
5 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
6 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
1 |
| Offices of Dentists |
10 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
6 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Phosphatic Fertilizer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
6 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Naming the Business
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.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Americus, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Georgia business.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Raising money to fund your new Americus business is a difficult chore. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Attracting Investors.
For Americus entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of Georgia Angel Investors and our List of Georgia Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Americus or are selling to customers throughout Georgia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Compensating Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Americus. 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 Americus and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Americus, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Americus, Georgia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Americus.
- Resources for Americus, Georgia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Americus entrepreneurs.
- Georgia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Georgia.
- Georgia Small Business Development Center - The Georgia SBDC program helps Georgia entrepreneurs with developing business plans, providing financial analysis, identifying sources of capital, and assessing marketing strategies.
- Americus, Georgia Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Americus, Georgia newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Americus area.
- Americus, Georgia Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Americus, Georgia area radio stations.
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