Contemplating starting a business in Andover, Massachusetts? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Andover.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Gift Baskets & Packs Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide or our How to Start a Psychiatric Hospitals Business guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Andover has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Andover. Only by spending some time analyzing Andover demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Andover, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Andover has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Andover demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Andover.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
15990 |
| 5-9 Employees |
4980 |
| 10-19 Employees |
3600 |
| 20-49 Employees |
2370 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1080 |
| 100-249 Employees |
870 |
| 250-499 Employees |
360 |
| 500-999 Employees |
120 |
| 1000+ Employees |
90 |
| All Andover Businesses |
29460 |
As a new Andover entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Andover 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 |
| Advertising Agencies |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
6 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
9 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
17 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
18 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
3 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
27 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
26 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
17 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
1 |
| General Automotive Repair |
2 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
13 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
16 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
14 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
4 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
1 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
11 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Bank Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
13 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
19 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
50 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
4 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Portfolio Management |
3 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
5 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
5 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
8 |
| Shoe Stores |
3 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
8 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
4 |
| Software Publishers |
9 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
11 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Textile Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
7 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
8 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
8 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
10 |
Is Buying an Existing Andover Business a Good Strategy?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Massachusetts. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Andover.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Naming the Company
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 should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Andover, it's imperative that you check now that no other Massachusetts company is using the business name you want to use.
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. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Andover business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Andover entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, you'll want to take a look at our List of Massachusetts Angel Investors and our List of Massachusetts Venture Capital Firms.
What's Next?
Most new Andover businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Andover and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Andover 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 Andover, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Andover.
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