Alabama Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Bessemer, Alabama

Thinking about starting a business in Bessemer, Alabama? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Bessemer.

Bessemer, Alabama Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
6189
5-9 Employees
2727
10-19 Employees
1773
20-49 Employees
1242
50-99 Employees
432
100-249 Employees
180
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
27
1000+ Employees
9
All Bessemer Businesses
12606

As a new Bessemer entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bessemer 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
3
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
16
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
11
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
2
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Business Associations
4
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Child Day Care Services
21
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
7
Clay Refractory Manufacturing
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Consumer Lending
13
Convenience Stores
12
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Document Preparation Services
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
16
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
4
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Full-Service Restaurants
24
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
7
General Automotive Repair
19
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
14
Iron and Steel Mills
3
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
2
Jewelry Stores
3
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
16
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
53
Logging
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
2
Masonry Contractors
12
Meat Markets
2
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
1
News Syndicates
1
Nonclay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
7
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
15
Offices of Lawyers
38
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
5
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
19
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Quick Printing
2
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
4
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
6
Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing
1
Sales Financing
3
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
2
Shoe Stores
6
Siding Contractors
3
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
5
Temporary Help Services
3
Testing Laboratories
4
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tire Dealers
7
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
16
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
6
Vending Machine Operators
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
13
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
8

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Bessemer, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include AmeriSpec Home Inspection and Health Career Agents. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Décor Franchises and Mexican Restaurant Franchises.

Note on Bessemer Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Bessemer, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Should You Buy an Existing Bessemer Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Alabama. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bessemer.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Software. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Alabama.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Bessemer customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a excellent marketing plan.

We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. National TV Spot Advertising Rates 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 taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

The best entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Bessemer, Alabama, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby Alabama universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Bessemer networking organizations.

Moving Forward

Most new Bessemer businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Bessemer businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bessemer, Alabama

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

  • Resources for Bessemer, Alabama Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Bessemer 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.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Alabama

Starting a Business in Bay Minette
Starting a Business in Birmingham

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

 

 

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