Georgia Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Atlanta, Georgia

Need help starting a business in Atlanta, Georgia? We've got the information you need to open a business in Atlanta.

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Drain Services Business guide or our How to Start a Water Filters Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Remember that you are opening your new business in Atlanta. Some businesses will do better in Atlanta than others. A critical consideration is whether Atlanta demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Atlanta, Georgia Demographic Information

Atlanta has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Atlanta demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Atlanta.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
503541
5-9 Employees
152289
10-19 Employees
109539
20-49 Employees
90855
50-99 Employees
35991
100-249 Employees
23355
250-499 Employees
7263
500-999 Employees
3240
1000+ Employees
1809
All Atlanta Businesses
927882

As a new Atlanta entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Atlanta 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
170
Air Traffic Control
1
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
6
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Apprenticeship Training
5
Armored Car Services
7
Art Dealers
46
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
6
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
10
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
10
Automotive Transmission Repair
17
Baked Goods Stores
12
Barber Shops
22
Beauty Salons
332
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
7
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
120
Blood and Organ Banks
4
Boat Dealers
2
Book Publishers
15
Book Stores
63
Books Printing
2
Bowling Centers
5
Breweries
3
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
2
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
4
Building Inspection Services
22
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
4
Business Associations
96
Business to Business Electronic Markets
6
Cafeterias
38
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
29
Canvas and Related Product Mills
4
Car Washes
32
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
21
Caterers
64
Cemeteries and Crematories
12
Charter Bus Industry
14
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Child and Youth Services
53
Child Day Care Services
261
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
28
Civic and Social Organizations
94
Clay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
45
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
47
Collection Agencies
41
Commercial Bakeries
12
Commercial Flexographic Printing
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
80
Commercial Photography
43
Commercial Screen Printing
22
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
12
Commodity Contracts Dealing
6
Community Food Services
6
Computer and Software Stores
39
Computer Systems Design Services
425
Computer Training
21
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
13
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
5
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
67
Convenience Stores
99
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
67
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
12
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
4
Couriers
66
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
29
Credit Bureaus
13
Credit Card Issuing
5
Credit Unions
74
Crown and Closure Manufacturing
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
7
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
431
Dance Companies
2
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
4
Dental Laboratories
23
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
31
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
10
Digital Printing
11
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
116
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
15
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
17
Discount Department Stores
10
Display Advertising
23
Distilleries
1
Document Preparation Services
30
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
127
Dry Pasta Manufacturing
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
31
Educational Support Services
41
Electric Power Distribution
41
Electrical Contractors
133
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
87
Emergency and Other Relief Services
5
Employment Placement Agencies
101
Engineering Services
307
Envelope Manufacturing
5
Environmental Consulting Services
39
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
40
Fabric Coating Mills
1
Facilities Support Services
35
Family Clothing Stores
102
Family Planning Centers
7
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
18
Fine Arts Schools
38
Finish Carpentry Contractors
38
Fish and Seafood Markets
4
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
8
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
123
Flight Training
13
Floor Covering Stores
44
Florists
57
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
3
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
47
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
190
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
5
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
11
Framing Contractors
11
Freight Transportation Arrangement
188
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
3
Full-Service Restaurants
1,041
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
25
Furniture Stores
126
General Automotive Repair
178
General Freight Trucking, Local
44
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
13
General Rental Centers
18
General Warehousing and Storage
79
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
115
Glass Container Manufacturing
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
15
Grantmaking Foundations
56
Graphic Design Services
222
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Stores
27
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
5
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
3
HMO Medical Centers
7
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
22
Home Centers
17
Home Health Care Services
53
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
36
Household Appliance Stores
15
Human Rights Organizations
29
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
9
Industrial Launderers
19
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
561
Interior Design Services
201
International Trade Financing
5
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
26
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
4
Investigation Services
25
Investment Advice
206
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
174
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
3
Jewelry Stores
169
Kidney Dialysis Centers
26
Land Subdivision
86
Landscape Architectural Services
52
Landscaping Services
163
Language Schools
15
Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
11
Limited-Service Restaurants
966
Limousine Service
13
Linen Supply
8
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
26
Locksmiths
13
Logging
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
16
Mail-Order Houses
41
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
287
Marking Device Manufacturing
3
Masonry Contractors
26
Mattress Manufacturing
3
Meat Markets
15
Media Buying Agencies
11
Media Representatives
44
Medical Laboratories
27
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
60
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
3
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
4
Miscellaneous Intermediation
55
Mobile Food Services
4
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
216
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
2
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
18
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
16
Music Publishers
7
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
8
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
2
Nail Salons
38
Natural Gas Distribution
12
New Car Dealers
41
New Housing Operative Builders
54
News Dealers and Newsstands
21
Newspaper Publishers
27
Nonresidential Property Managers
147
Nursing Care Facilities
38
Office Administrative Services
182
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
60
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
34
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
7
Offices of Chiropractors
163
Offices of Dentists
470
Offices of Lawyers
1,492
Offices of Optometrists
64
Offices of Other Holding Companies
76
Offices of Podiatrists
19
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
62
Open-End Investment Funds
2
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
4
Optical Goods Stores
47
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
9
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paging
6
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
10
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
25
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
60
Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing
1
Parking Lots and Garages
248
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Payroll Services
33
Periodical Publishers
85
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
23
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
35
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
21
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
115
Plastics Bag Manufacturing
2
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
7
Political Organizations
21
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
2
Port and Harbor Operations
1
Portfolio Management
127
Poultry Processing
1
Prepress Services
11
Printing Ink Manufacturing
7
Private Mail Centers
27
Professional Employer Organizations
36
Professional Organizations
80
Public Relations Agencies
117
Quick Printing
37
Radio Networks
8
Radio Stations
62
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
17
Real Estate Credit
223
Real Estate Investment Trusts
35
Record Production
9
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
9
Reinsurance Carriers
9
Remediation Services
9
Repossession Services
7
Residential Property Managers
234
Residential Remodelers
142
Retail Bakeries
13
Roofing Contractors
35
Rooming and Boarding Houses
11
Sales Financing
59
Savings Institutions
45
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
Sawmills
2
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
11
Schiffli Machine Embroidery
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Seafood Canning
1
Secondary Market Financing
6
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
2
Securities Brokerage
140
Security Guards and Patrol Services
70
Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
8
Shoe Stores
153
Siding Contractors
11
Sign Manufacturing
29
Site Preparation Contractors
24
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
153
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
10
Soft Drink Manufacturing
6
Software Publishers
96
Software Reproducing
2
Solid Waste Collection
13
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Special Needs Transportation
13
Specialty Canning
1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
4
Sporting Goods Stores
62
Sports and Recreation Instruction
32
Sports Teams and Clubs
6
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
89
Taxi Service
13
Telecommunications Resellers
30
Telemarketing Bureaus
12
Telephone Answering Services
11
Television Broadcasting
20
Temporary Help Services
300
Testing Laboratories
17
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
34
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
10
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
15
Tire Dealers
51
Tire Retreading
2
Tobacco Stores
10
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
5
Tortilla Manufacturing
4
Tour Operators
18
Tradebinding and Related Work
9
Translation and Interpretation Services
13
Travel Agencies
136
Used Car Dealers
54
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
41
Used Merchandise Stores
103
Vending Machine Operators
11
Veterinary Services
55
Video Tape and Disc Rental
43
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
27
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
3
Web Search Portals
5
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
470
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
202
Women's Handbag and Purse Manufacturing
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
9
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
2
Wood Preservation
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
5

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Atlanta Business?

We've created a useful 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 Atlanta.

If you are headed down the path of buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Forming a Company in Atlanta, Georgia

A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

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 wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

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 How to Incorporate. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Atlanta, Georgia, our information on Incorporating in Georgia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Georgia.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. 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.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Atlanta or are selling to customers throughout Georgia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

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.

Mastering the Complex Sale is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Interviews With Atlanta Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Atlanta entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Atlanta. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Atlanta and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Atlanta 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 Atlanta, Georgia

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Atlanta.

More Business Startup Guides for Georgia

Starting a Business in Athens
Starting a Business in Augusta

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Georgia
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary