Start a Business

When Bill and Adele Mercier bought their family orchard in1943 the business took root in every way. Today the orchard store is surrounded by 300 acres devoted to growing 50 varieties of apples, and operations have expanded to include a restaurant, bakery, deli, and even a winery with a tasting room.

Hungry for success? Fannin County is the place for startups, where fertile ground for growth nurtures your new venture from your initial idea to a successful business.

A state and a county highly hospitable to new business.
Georgia knows small business: 99.6% of the state’s businesses are small businesses, according to Business News Daily. Between 1996 and 2020, Georgia small business employment grew by 24.3%, exceeding the national average. And in Fannin County, we are as welcoming to new businesses as we are to the visitors who flock to our region.

Resources like the Blue Ridge Career Career can help you add talent to your staff, while our location and logistics provide critical mobility. Our human connections are as vital as the logistical ones. Retired executives are drawn to Fannin County, and those seasoned and successful business leaders can provide strategic mentoring that will make a real difference for entrepreneurs.

Another essential resource: The Blue Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

A 1,000-member team to boost your start-up.
Joining the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce & CVB unlocks a vast resource of support for your enterprise. The chamber’s 1,000+ member businesses, each with knowledge, experience and strategic market intelligence, are ready to share their insights. The chamber makes it easy to connect, whether one-on-one or in groups, informally or at regularly scheduled events and activities like Business After Hours networking get-togethers and Lunch and Leads. In its dual role as chamber and CVB, this invaluable organization understands the value of hospitality—and that includes hospitality to new businesses like yours.

LEARN MORE:

• Have an idea but not sure where to start? Look here for guidance.

• Learn the basics of registering your new business in Georgia here.

• Get tax and licensing information for the city of Blue Ridge.

• Employer facts are available through multiple online resources, including the web portal of the Georgia Department of Labor, and WorkSource Georgia’s online portal, a one-stop resource connecting employers with job candidates.

Local employer service is available at the Blue Ridge Career Center, an affiliate of WorkSource Georgia and the American Jobs Network.