Contemplating starting a business in Gadsden, Alabama? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Gadsden.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Good Business Ideas.
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 Starting a Heating Equipment & Systems Dealers Business guide or our Opening a Marriage & Family Counseling Business guide.
Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Gadsden. Some businesses will do better in Gadsden than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Gadsden demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Gadsden, Alabama Demographic Information
Gadsden has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Gadsden demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Gadsden.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
6747 |
| 5-9 Employees |
3267 |
| 10-19 Employees |
2187 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1197 |
| 50-99 Employees |
423 |
| 100-249 Employees |
225 |
| 250-499 Employees |
54 |
| 500-999 Employees |
36 |
| 1000+ Employees |
18 |
| All Gadsden Businesses |
14154 |
As a new Gadsden entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gadsden 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 |
4 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
1 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
|
Apprenticeship Training |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
6 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
3 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
|
Beauty Salons |
10 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
|
Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
4 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
6 |
| Child Day Care Services |
18 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
9 |
|
Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Gravure Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
5 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
|
Computer and Software Stores |
5 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
8 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
|
Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
6 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
|
Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
41 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
7 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
12 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
|
General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
10 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
5 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
|
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
|
Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
34 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
|
Jewelry Stores |
13 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
9 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
57 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
8 |
|
Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
5 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
|
Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
4 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
35 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
51 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
8 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
7 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
|
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
15 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
7 |
| Plastics Bag Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
|
Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
3 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
4 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
6 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Real Estate Credit |
5 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
3 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
10 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
|
Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
7 |
| Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading) |
1 |
|
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
13 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
8 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
6 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
|
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
10 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Visit the business district of Gadsden and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. 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 Super Clean Yacht Service Franchising, Inc. and VIP Cleaners. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bookstore Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.
Note on Gadsden Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Gadsden.
Naming the Company
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
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.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Gadsden, it's imperative that you check now that no other Alabama company is using the business name you want to use.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Having a business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Presentations. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Alabama.
How to Sell
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Gadsden business to do well.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Gadsden businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Gadsden and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Gadsden, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Gadsden, Alabama
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Gadsden.
- Resources for Gadsden, Alabama Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Gadsden 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.
- Gadsden, Alabama Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Gadsden, Alabama newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Gadsden area.
- Gadsden, Alabama Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Gadsden, Alabama area radio stations.
- Gadsden, Alabama Payroll Services - This list includes Gadsden, Alabama payroll services, national payroll services for Gadsden, and helpful information on choosing a Gadsden payroll service.
- Gadsden, Alabama Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Gadsden, Alabama, such as business brokers in Gadsden and other helpful information on how to buy a Gadsden business.
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