Are you starting a business in Anniston, Alabama? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Anniston.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Anniston. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Anniston, Alabama Demographic Information
Anniston has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Anniston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Anniston.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
3832 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1752 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1320 |
| 20-49 Employees |
816 |
| 50-99 Employees |
294 |
| 100-249 Employees |
108 |
| 250-499 Employees |
60 |
| 500-999 Employees |
24 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Anniston Businesses |
8212 |
As a new Anniston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Anniston 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 |
| Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
3 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
7 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Burial Casket Manufacturing |
1 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
2 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Carpet and Rug Mills |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
15 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
14 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clay Refractory Manufacturing |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
12 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
11 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
9 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
9 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
6 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
26 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Stores |
9 |
| General Automotive Repair |
12 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
5 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
4 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
11 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
2 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Valve Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
18 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Forging |
2 |
| Iron Foundries |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
4 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
47 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Materials Recovery Facilities |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
12 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
11 |
| Offices of Dentists |
25 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
59 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
4 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
3 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
3 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire Dealers |
7 |
| Used Car Dealers |
17 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
5 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
6 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
7 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Anniston and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Understanding Franchise Contracts. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Taco John's International and Monkey Joe's. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Franchises and Dollar Store Franchises.
Note on Anniston Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Anniston.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Anniston Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Alabama. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Anniston.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.
Startup Financing Basics
Getting your Anniston business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Anniston entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, we have assembled a List of Alabama Angel Investors and our List of Alabama Venture Capital Firms.
Bring in Revenues
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Anniston or are selling to customers throughout Alabama, 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? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Anniston. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Anniston and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Anniston 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 Anniston, Alabama
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Anniston.
- Resources for Anniston, Alabama Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Anniston entrepreneurs.
- Alabama Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Alabama.
- Alabama Small Business Development Center - Alabama's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counsels and trains business people in a wide variety of business topics and provides comprehensive information services and access to experts in many fields. Counseling is provided free of charge to all Alabama small business owners.
- Anniston, Alabama Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Anniston, Alabama newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Anniston area.
- Anniston, Alabama Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Anniston, Alabama area radio stations.
- Anniston, Alabama Payroll Services - This list includes Anniston, Alabama payroll services, national payroll services for Anniston, and helpful information on choosing a Anniston payroll service.
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