Early voting is open today in Brunswick, Georgetown, and Horry counties. 2026 election guide: dates, hours and locations
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 A Vik Media Group publication
Grand Strand Dispatch Myrtle Beach and Brunswick Islands news: Horry, Georgetown and Brunswick counties
Subscribe
Small business/Georgetown County

How to start a business in Georgetown County, SC

To start a business in Georgetown County, SC: register an LLC or corporation with the South Carolina Secretary of State (fee shown when you file online); get a free EIN from the IRS; and get a Retail License from the SC Department of Revenue if you sell goods, including online (one per location). Local license: Ask Georgetown County about a business license for unincorporated areas. 1,005 new business applications were filed in Georgetown County in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau).

Steps and offices checked Oct. 31, 2026 on each official site, linked below. Visitor figures come from each area's tourism office, with the source on every card. New business applications: U.S. Census Bureau.

1,005applications to start a business in 2025 (+57% vs. 2019)
66businesses in our local directory in Georgetown County. Is yours?
SponsoredThis section is presented by

Sponsored. Sponsors do not choose or edit the data on this page.

Step by step in Georgetown County

  1. Register your business

    Register an LLC or corporation with the South Carolina Secretary of State

    Fee shown when you file online

    SC Secretary of State ›

  2. Get an EIN

    Get a free Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS if you will hire or form an LLC or corporation

    Free

    IRS ›

  3. Sales tax and state registration

    Get a Retail License from the SC Department of Revenue if you sell goods, including online (one per location)

    State rate 6%, plus local sales taxes where voters approved them

    SC Department of Revenue ›

  4. Get a local business license

    Ask Georgetown County about a business license for unincorporated areas. Inside a city or town (Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Georgetown and others), the business license comes from that city or town, not the county.

    Georgetown County › · (843) 545-3063

  5. Get found

    Claim your free listing in our directory and your Google, Apple and Bing listings, so neighbors and visitors can find you from day one.

    Free

    How to get found ›

Some trades also need a state license (contractors, food, alcohol, health and others). Ask the free help offices below which ones apply to you. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

New business applications per year in Georgetown County

Applications for a federal employer number (EIN) that look like a new business, by county. The orange bar is 2025. Not every application becomes an open business.

Applications to start a business per year in Georgetown County2015: 527 applications527'152016: 533 applications'162017: 564 applications'172018: 581 applications'182019: 639 applications'192020: 806 applications'202021: 1,146 applications'212022: 1,052 applications'222023: 1,071 applications'232024: 979 applications'242025: 1,005 applications1,005'25

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics. The Census adds statistical noise to protect privacy, so small counties move more from year to year. Download: numbers.csv.

Free help near you

South Carolina SBDC21 centers that offer individual, confidential business consulting at no cost.
SCOREVolunteer business mentors who advise at no cost, in person or online.
U.S. Small Business AdministrationLoans, contracting and the official guide to planning, launching and growing a business.

Small Business Saturday: Saturday, November 28

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, when shoppers are asked to buy from local, independent businesses. Claim your free listing and post your offer so shoppers find it on our deals page.

Post your offer

Own a business here?

We publish short answers from local owners after an editor reviews them, in a separate "Reader reports" section.

Small business news and advice

Already open? Get a free check of your website, your chatbot or how AI finds you ›

How we build this page: steps and offices from each state and county site, checked Oct. 31, 2026 and again every January; visitor figures from the official tourism offices; business applications from the U.S. Census Bureau; listings from our own directory. Something wrong? Tell us.

Cite this data

Free to reuse in your story, report or website under CC BY 4.0. Just credit Grand Strand Dispatch with a link to this page. Downloads: numbers.csv.