GET STARTED!

Have you been sitting on a great business idea for a long time? As we head into the New Year, we have some advice for you: GET STARTED! 

You could hit the ground running in 2023 by getting a jump start on your New Year’s resolution to finally start your entrepreneurial dream.

At Decide DeKalb, we have all the resources you need to help you get that business launched. 

And DeKalb County is a great place to start your business because of our incredible people and business-friendly environment. 

Did you know? DeKalb County has: 

• 759,000 residents, of whom 44.2 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• 145 schools and educational centers, with 13 higher education institutions and campuses, including Emory University, Georgia State University, Mercer University, and Georgia Piedmont Technical College. 
• Georgia’s top ranked university, Emory University, and around 40 percent of its graduates stay in the Atlanta metropolitan area. 
• Georgia Piedmont Technical College with a 99 percent job placement rate, one of Georgia’s top workforce training institutions.
• Large companies and employers that have chosen DeKalb County, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Emory Healthcare, Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, State Farm Insurance, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
• 88 internationally based companies that have operations in DeKalb County.
• A great transportation network via rail, bus, car and plane – we’re accessible through Interstates 20, 85, 675, and 285, we have 10 MARTA rail stations and DeKalb Peachtree Airport (PDK), the second busiest in the state behind the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Now that you’re feeling motivated to get started, what should you do next? 

Visit our website to give you details on all the ways we can help. 

• Need education? The Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia gives you a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Find a mentor! Powered by the SBA, SCORE is a free mentoring service that provides resources and expertise to maximize the success of existing and emerging small businesses.
• Looking for startup capital? Find a lender or small business loan.
• What about office space? DeKalb has incredible co-working office space options.  
• Got talent? In partnership with WorkSource DeKalb, Decide DeKalb helps businesses hire and train the talent they need to grow.

For more information on how DeKalb County can help you, your company and your community thrive, email [email protected].