Georgia Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Clayton, Georgia
Contemplating starting a business in Clayton, Georgia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Clayton.
Clayton, Georgia Demographic Information
Clayton has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Clayton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Clayton.
Businesses
As a new Clayton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Clayton 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.
Businesses
Choosing a Company Name
A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Clayton, it's very important that you make sure your company name has not already been claimed by another Georgia business.
Company Formation in Clayton, Georgia
It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Georgia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Georgia. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Clayton, Georgia, our web page covering Incorporating in Georgia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Georgia.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Company
To rise above the crowd in Clayton and advance your business, you need a solid marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Billboard Advertising Costs is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
How to Sell
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Clayton or are selling to customers throughout Georgia, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
The Art of Customer Referrals 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.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Clayton. 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Clayton and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Clayton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Clayton, Georgia
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Clayton.
- Resources for Clayton, Georgia Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Clayton entrepreneurs.
- Georgia Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Georgia.
- Georgia Small Business Development Center - The Georgia SBDC program helps Georgia entrepreneurs with developing business plans, providing financial analysis, identifying sources of capital, and assessing marketing strategies.
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