Thinking about starting a business in Auburn, Maine? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Auburn.
Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of 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.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Auburn. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Pottery Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide or our Starting a Wood Blinds Business guide.
Remember that your new business will be in Auburn. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Auburn. A critical consideration is whether Auburn demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Auburn, Maine Demographic Information
Auburn has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Auburn demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Auburn.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
18144 |
| 5-9 Employees |
8592 |
| 10-19 Employees |
6624 |
| 20-49 Employees |
5424 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1440 |
| 100-249 Employees |
720 |
| 250-499 Employees |
288 |
| 500-999 Employees |
144 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Auburn Businesses |
41376 |
As a new Auburn entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Auburn 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 |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
6 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
14 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Carpet and Rug Mills |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
11 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
5 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
32 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
12 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
8 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
13 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
7 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
22 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
2 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
16 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
7 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
4 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
3 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Pulp Mills |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
7 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Skiing Facilities |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
8 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
2 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
5 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Auburn, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Skyline Chili, Inc. and Cinnzeo. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Business Services Franchises and Child Education and Tutoring Franchises.
Note on Auburn Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Auburn.
Picking a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
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.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Auburn, it's very important that you make sure no other Maine company is using the business name you want to use.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Maine.
Marketing Your New Venture
To grow your Auburn business, you need a solid marketing plan.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Business Logo Design is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Auburn. 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Auburn and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Auburn, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Auburn, Maine
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Auburn.
- Resources for Auburn, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Auburn entrepreneurs.
- Maine Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Maine.
- Maine Small Business Development Center - Maine Small Business Development Centers and its technology-focused group, the Maine Small Business & Technology Development Centers, provide comprehensive business management assistance, training, resource and information services to Maine's entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Auburn, Maine Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Auburn, Maine newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Auburn area.
- Auburn, Maine Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Auburn, Maine area radio stations.
More Startup Articles for Maine Cities
Starting a Business in Augusta
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Maine
