Alabama Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Scottsboro, Alabama

Are you starting a business in Scottsboro, Alabama? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Scottsboro.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Scottsboro. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Scottsboro, Alabama Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
909
5-9 Employees
390
10-19 Employees
192
20-49 Employees
159
50-99 Employees
24
100-249 Employees
18
250-499 Employees
15
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
3
All Scottsboro Businesses
1710

As a new Scottsboro entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Scottsboro 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
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
1
Business Associations
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Caterers
2
Child and Youth Services
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Consumer Lending
3
Convenience Stores
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
4
Family Clothing Stores
3
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Floor Covering Stores
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Full-Service Restaurants
18
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
6
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Historical Sites
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Janitorial Services
2
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
24
Limousine Service
1
Logging
3
Machine Shops
7
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Nail Salons
1
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
6
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
9
Offices of Lawyers
22
Offices of Optometrists
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Sawmills
2
Securities Brokerage
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Tire Cord and Tire Fabric Mills
1
Tire Dealers
8
Tobacco Stores
2
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
2
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

Should You Buy an Existing Scottsboro Business?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Alabama. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Scottsboro.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Choosing a Business 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.

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: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Scottsboro, it's very important that you make sure no Alabama company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, 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.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Software. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Alabama.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Obtaining startup financing for your Scottsboro business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as SBIR Funding.

For Scottsboro entrepreneurs who need startup capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Alabama Angel Investors and our List of Alabama Venture Capital Firms.

Now It's Up To You

You have a dream -- starting a business in Scottsboro. 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.

We are here to help Scottsboro businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Scottsboro 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 Scottsboro, Alabama

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

More Business Startup Guides for Alabama

Starting a Business in Russellville
Starting a Business in Selma

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Alabama
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