Contemplating starting a business in Fairbanks, Alaska? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Fairbanks.
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read Finding Your Niche in Life.
Remember that you are starting a business in Fairbanks. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Fairbanks. A critical consideration is whether Fairbanks demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Fairbanks has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Fairbanks demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Fairbanks.
As a new Fairbanks entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fairbanks 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
9 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Art Dealers |
4 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
18 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
25 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
6 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
4 |
| Business Associations |
6 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
2 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
6 |
| Cement Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
6 |
| Child Day Care Services |
25 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
12 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
5 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
6 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
4 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
3 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
2 |
| Couriers |
4 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
11 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
22 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
11 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
29 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
26 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
9 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
4 |
| Facilities Support Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
4 |
| Finfish Fishing |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
5 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
5 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
7 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
5 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
54 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
24 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
17 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Gold Ore Mining |
6 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Historical Sites |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
8 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
7 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
4 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
29 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
27 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
11 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
38 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
6 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
6 |
| Masonry Contractors |
7 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
3 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
3 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
6 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
8 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
5 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
17 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
8 |
| Offices of Dentists |
40 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
44 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
7 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
8 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
7 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
17 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
6 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Freight Air Transportation |
2 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
4 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
4 |
| Siding Contractors |
5 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
23 |
| Skiing Facilities |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
22 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
4 |
| Support Activities for Metal Mining |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
10 |
| Taxi Service |
3 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
5 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
8 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
9 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
9 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
4 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
8 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. 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 Alaska, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Alaska. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Piercing the Corporate Veil. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Fairbanks, Alaska, our information on Incorporating in Alaska may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Alaska.
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, 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.
Whether your goal is to attract Fairbanks customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Fairbanks business to do well.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Most new Fairbanks businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Fairbanks and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Fairbanks, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Fairbanks.
