Contemplating starting a business in Augusta, Maine? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Augusta.
What Business Are You Starting?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Free Business Ideas.
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 Starting an Agricultural Chemical Retail Business guide or our Starting a Pianos Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Augusta has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Augusta. Only by spending some time analyzing Augusta demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Augusta, Maine Demographic Information
Augusta has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Augusta demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Augusta.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
12780 |
| 5-9 Employees |
6291 |
| 10-19 Employees |
4644 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3024 |
| 50-99 Employees |
918 |
| 100-249 Employees |
675 |
| 250-499 Employees |
162 |
| 500-999 Employees |
27 |
| 1000+ Employees |
27 |
| All Augusta Businesses |
28548 |
As a new Augusta entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Augusta 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 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
6 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
8 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
24 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Caterers |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
7 |
| Child Day Care Services |
11 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
15 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
7 |
| Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
5 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
6 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
25 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
9 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
6 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
7 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
5 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
3 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
19 |
| Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
12 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
8 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
30 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
4 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
10 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
17 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
33 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Political Organizations |
5 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
9 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
6 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
7 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
9 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Shoe Stores |
4 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
7 |
| Temporary Shelters |
3 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
5 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Visit the business district of Augusta and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Logocrete Systems LLC and Cannon Hygiene International. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Soccer Franchises and Payday Loan Franchises.
Note on Augusta Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Augusta, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Augusta Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Maine. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Augusta.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Marketing Your New Company
Whether your goal is to attract Augusta customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Customer Loyalty Programs is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Augusta business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Closing Sales Techniques is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Augusta, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Augusta businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Augusta, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Augusta, Maine
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Augusta.
- Resources for Augusta, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Augusta 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.
- Augusta, Maine Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Augusta, Maine newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Augusta area.
- Augusta, Maine Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Augusta, Maine area radio stations.
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