Are you starting a business in Cullman, Alabama? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Cullman.
Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?
Most startup businesses fail, in part because the business owner did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Cullman. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
Cullman, Alabama Demographic Information
Cullman has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Cullman demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Cullman.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1932 |
| 5-9 Employees |
864 |
| 10-19 Employees |
525 |
| 20-49 Employees |
354 |
| 50-99 Employees |
96 |
| 100-249 Employees |
45 |
| 250-499 Employees |
18 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
6 |
| All Cullman Businesses |
3843 |
As a new Cullman entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cullman 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
10 |
| Bituminous Coal Underground Mining |
1 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
5 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
11 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
9 |
| Convenience Stores |
6 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Custom Roll Forming |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
7 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
5 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
9 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
7 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
29 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
12 |
| General Automotive Repair |
16 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
7 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
5 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Pattern Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Valve Manufacturing |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
23 |
| Interior Design Services |
2 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
42 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
3 |
| Marinas |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
6 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
2 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
9 |
| Offices of Dentists |
21 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
30 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
4 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
3 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
5 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
16 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
6 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
6 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
2 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
7 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
20 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
7 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
8 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Choosing a Business 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.
Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Cullman, it's imperative that you check now that no other Alabama company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Cullman, Alabama
It's essential 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. Just because you are starting a business in Alabama, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Alabama. In fact, you are allowed to 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 Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Cullman, Alabama, our information on Incorporating in Alabama may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Alabama.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Alabama.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Cullman customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Working with an Advertising Agency discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Cullman businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Cullman businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Cullman 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 Cullman, Alabama
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Cullman.
- Resources for Cullman, Alabama Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Cullman 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.
- Cullman, Alabama Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Cullman, Alabama newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Cullman area.
- Cullman, Alabama Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Cullman, Alabama area radio stations.
- Cullman, Alabama Payroll Services - This list includes Cullman, Alabama payroll services, national payroll services for Cullman, and helpful information on choosing a Cullman payroll service.
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