Thinking about starting a business in Athens, Georgia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Athens.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Athens. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
What Type of Business Should You 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 step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.
Don't forget that you are starting a business in Athens. If Athens already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Athens demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Athens, Georgia Demographic Information
Athens has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Athens demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Athens.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
46640 |
| 5-9 Employees |
18964 |
| 10-19 Employees |
13662 |
| 20-49 Employees |
9471 |
| 50-99 Employees |
3267 |
| 100-249 Employees |
1353 |
| 250-499 Employees |
462 |
| 500-999 Employees |
66 |
| 1000+ Employees |
99 |
| All Athens Businesses |
93984 |
As a new Athens entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Athens 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 |
3 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
50 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
27 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
7 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
7 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
9 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Car Washes |
7 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
7 |
| Cement Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
20 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
15 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
5 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
6 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
6 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
10 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
11 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
9 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
2 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
8 |
| Crown and Closure Manufacturing |
1 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
11 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
3 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
8 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
4 |
| Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
36 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
6 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
19 |
| Electronic Shopping |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
9 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
14 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
9 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
5 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
17 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
14 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
7 |
| Food Service Contractors |
5 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
110 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
7 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
28 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
18 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
4 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
4 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
6 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
57 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
16 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
20 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
9 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
5 |
| Landscaping Services |
21 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
103 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
5 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
10 |
| Masonry Contractors |
6 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
2 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
7 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
5 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
10 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
5 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
6 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
7 |
| Office Administrative Services |
8 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
4 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
23 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
14 |
| Offices of Dentists |
42 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
71 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
9 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
16 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
10 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
2 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
8 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
4 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
15 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
7 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
2 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Poultry Processing |
2 |
| Prepress Services |
3 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
4 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
4 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
13 |
| Record Production |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
23 |
| Residential Remodelers |
13 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
20 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
17 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
19 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
17 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
3 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
3 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
11 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
8 |
| Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
16 |
| Temporary Shelters |
5 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
7 |
| Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading) |
1 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
5 |
| Tour Operators |
2 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
12 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
20 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
3 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
13 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
27 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Athens, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Franchise. 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.
Representative franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.
Note on Athens Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Athens.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Athens Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Georgia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Athens.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Picking a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Athens, it's critical that you ensure that no other Georgia company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Athens, Georgia
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
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. If you are starting a business in Georgia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Georgia. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Nevada Incorporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Athens, Georgia, our information on Incorporating in Georgia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Georgia.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Athens business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Choosing VC Firms.
For Athens entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Georgia Angel Investors and our List of Georgia Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Venture
To grow your Athens business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising on the Web is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Athens business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
Given that you are starting a business in Athens, Georgia, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Georgia universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any Athens networking organizations.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Athens, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Athens and throughout the United States . We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Athens, Georgia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Athens.
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