Thinking about starting a business in Woodstock, Georgia? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Woodstock.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Finding Your Niche in Life.
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 How to Start a Lumber Yard guide or our Starting a Pet Funeral Services Business guide.
Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Woodstock. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Woodstock. A critical consideration is whether Woodstock demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Woodstock, Georgia Demographic Information
Woodstock has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Woodstock demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Woodstock.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
29316 |
| 5-9 Employees |
7140 |
| 10-19 Employees |
4865 |
| 20-49 Employees |
2688 |
| 50-99 Employees |
840 |
| 100-249 Employees |
378 |
| 250-499 Employees |
126 |
| 500-999 Employees |
21 |
| 1000+ Employees |
21 |
| All Woodstock Businesses |
45395 |
As a new Woodstock entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Woodstock 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 |
|
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Ambulance Services
|
1 |
|
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
|
3 |
|
Architectural Services
|
9 |
|
Automobile Driving Schools
|
2 |
|
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
|
2 |
|
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
|
2 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
|
4 |
|
Automotive Transmission Repair
|
3 |
|
Barber Shops
|
1 |
|
Beauty Salons
|
25 |
|
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
|
3 |
|
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Boat Dealers
|
1 |
|
Book Stores
|
2 |
|
Bowling Centers
|
1 |
|
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
|
1 |
|
Building Inspection Services
|
1 |
|
Business Associations
|
1 |
|
Cafeterias
|
1 |
|
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
|
2 |
|
Car Washes
|
6 |
|
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
|
1 |
|
Caterers
|
2 |
|
Child and Youth Services
|
2 |
|
Child Day Care Services
|
23 |
|
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
|
1 |
|
Claims Adjusting
|
2 |
|
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
|
3 |
|
Collection Agencies
|
4 |
|
Commercial Flexographic Printing
|
1 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing
|
1 |
|
Commercial Photography
|
1 |
|
Computer and Software Stores
|
2 |
|
Computer Facilities Management Services
|
1 |
|
Computer Systems Design Services
|
43 |
|
Confectionery and Nut Stores
|
1 |
|
Consumer Lending
|
5 |
|
Convenience Stores
|
6 |
|
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
|
2 |
|
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
|
1 |
|
Couriers
|
2 |
|
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
|
2 |
|
Credit Unions
|
1 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills
|
2 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services
|
47 |
|
Dental Laboratories
|
1 |
|
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
|
1 |
|
Digital Printing
|
1 |
|
Direct Mail Advertising
|
2 |
|
Discount Department Stores
|
2 |
|
Display Advertising
|
1 |
|
Document Preparation Services
|
3 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
|
2 |
|
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
|
14 |
|
Educational Support Services
|
3 |
|
Electrical Contractors
|
37 |
|
Electronic Shopping
|
7 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools
|
4 |
|
Employment Placement Agencies
|
7 |
|
Engineering Services
|
22 |
|
Environmental Consulting Services
|
3 |
|
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
|
3 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
|
15 |
|
Facilities Support Services
|
1 |
|
Family Clothing Stores
|
2 |
|
Family Planning Centers
|
1 |
|
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Fine Arts Schools
|
6 |
|
Finish Carpentry Contractors
|
12 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
|
12 |
|
Floor Covering Stores
|
3 |
|
Flooring Contractors
|
2 |
|
Florists
|
1 |
|
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
|
4 |
|
Food Service Contractors
|
1 |
|
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
|
Framing Contractors
|
4 |
|
Freight Transportation Arrangement
|
4 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants
|
64 |
|
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
|
1 |
|
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Furniture Stores
|
4 |
|
General Automotive Repair
|
16 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local
|
3 |
|
General Rental Centers
|
1 |
|
General Warehousing and Storage
|
1 |
|
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
|
3 |
|
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
|
5 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations
|
2 |
|
Graphic Design Services
|
6 |
|
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
|
2 |
|
Hardware Stores
|
4 |
|
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
|
2 |
|
Home Centers
|
3 |
|
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
|
5 |
|
Home Health Care Services
|
3 |
|
Homes for the Elderly
|
2 |
|
Household Appliance Stores
|
3 |
|
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
|
2 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
|
42 |
|
Interior Design Services
|
7 |
|
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
|
3 |
|
Internet Service Providers
|
2 |
|
Investigation Services
|
4 |
|
Investment Advice
|
8 |
|
Janitorial Services
|
16 |
|
Jewelry Stores
|
6 |
|
Kidney Dialysis Centers
|
1 |
|
Land Subdivision
|
6 |
|
Landscape Architectural Services
|
2 |
|
Landscaping Services
|
47 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
|
1 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants
|
45 |
|
Limousine Service
|
2 |
|
Linen Supply
|
1 |
|
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
|
5 |
|
Locksmiths
|
1 |
|
Logging
|
1 |
|
Machine Shops
|
7 |
|
Mail-Order Houses
|
3 |
|
Marinas
|
1 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services
|
19 |
|
Masonry Contractors
|
6 |
|
Meat Markets
|
2 |
|
Media Representatives
|
1 |
|
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Miscellaneous Intermediation
|
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
|
21 |
|
Motion Picture and Video Production
|
3 |
|
Motor Vehicle Towing
|
2 |
|
Motorcycle Dealers
|
4 |
|
Museums
|
1 |
|
Musical Groups and Artists
|
1 |
|
Nail Salons
|
3 |
|
Natural Gas Distribution
|
1 |
|
New Car Dealers
|
7 |
|
New Housing Operative Builders
|
9 |
|
Newspaper Publishers
|
2 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers
|
3 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities
|
1 |
|
Office Administrative Services
|
7 |
|
Office Machinery Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
|
2 |
|
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
|
15 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors
|
24 |
|
Offices of Dentists
|
32 |
|
Offices of Lawyers
|
35 |
|
Offices of Optometrists
|
4 |
|
Offices of Other Holding Companies
|
1 |
|
Offices of Podiatrists
|
2 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
|
4 |
|
Optical Goods Stores
|
5 |
|
Packaging and Labeling Services
|
1 |
|
Packing and Crating
|
1 |
|
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
|
2 |
|
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
24 |
|
Passenger Car Rental
|
2 |
|
Payroll Services
|
3 |
|
Periodical Publishers
|
5 |
|
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
|
5 |
|
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
|
2 |
|
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
|
9 |
|
Photography Studios, Portrait
|
8 |
|
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Portfolio Management
|
1 |
|
Private Mail Centers
|
7 |
|
Quick Printing
|
3 |
|
Racetracks
|
1 |
|
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Real Estate Credit
|
13 |
|
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
|
1 |
|
Remediation Services
|
1 |
|
Residential Property Managers
|
6 |
|
Residential Remodelers
|
29 |
|
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
|
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors
|
9 |
|
Satellite Telecommunications
|
1 |
|
Savings Institutions
|
5 |
|
Securities Brokerage
|
11 |
|
Shoe Stores
|
4 |
|
Siding Contractors
|
5 |
|
Sign Manufacturing
|
3 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors
|
16 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
|
7 |
|
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Software Publishers
|
1 |
|
Solid Waste Collection
|
4 |
|
Solid Waste Landfill
|
1 |
|
Sound Recording Studios
|
1 |
|
Sporting Goods Stores
|
4 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction
|
7 |
|
Tax Preparation Services
|
4 |
|
Telecommunications Resellers
|
1 |
|
Telemarketing Bureaus
|
1 |
|
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Temporary Help Services
|
5 |
|
Testing Laboratories
|
3 |
|
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
|
1 |
|
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
|
3 |
|
Tire Dealers
|
9 |
|
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
|
1 |
|
Tour Operators
|
1 |
|
Tradebinding and Related Work
|
1 |
|
Travel Agencies
|
3 |
|
Truss Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Used Car Dealers
|
6 |
|
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
|
1 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores
|
4 |
|
Vending Machine Operators
|
1 |
|
Veterinary Services
|
10 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental
|
6 |
|
Voluntary Health Organizations
|
2 |
|
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
|
3 |
|
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
|
1 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
|
48 |
|
Window Treatment Stores
|
1 |
|
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
|
4 |
|
Women's Clothing Stores
|
4 |
|
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
|
1 |
What About Buying an Existing Woodstock Business?
We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Georgia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Woodstock.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.
Naming the Company
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.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Woodstock, it's critical that you ensure that you will be the only Georgia company using the business name you have chosen.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Woodstock business is a difficult chore. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Woodstock entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Georgia Angel Investors and our List of Georgia Venture Capital Firms.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Woodstock, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Woodstock businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Woodstock, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Woodstock, Georgia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Woodstock.
