Maryland Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Bel Air, Maryland

Contemplating starting a business in Bel Air, Maryland? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Bel Air.

Bel Air, Maryland Demographic Information

Bel Air has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Bel Air demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Bel Air.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3108
5-9 Employees
1164
10-19 Employees
765
20-49 Employees
435
50-99 Employees
159
100-249 Employees
87
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
3
All Bel Air Businesses
5733

As a new Bel Air entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bel Air 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
6
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
5
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
49
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
13
Book Stores
5
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
4
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
12
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
4
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
10
Consumer Lending
3
Convenience Stores
10
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
29
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
16
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
8
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
8
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
8
Floor Covering Stores
9
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
9
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
4
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
43
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
12
General Automotive Repair
22
General Freight Trucking, Local
9
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
12
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
6
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
7
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
3
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
33
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
5
Investment Advice
9
Janitorial Services
17
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
3
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
31
Limited-Service Restaurants
58
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
5
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
11
Masonry Contractors
6
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
13
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Nail Salons
3
New Car Dealers
12
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
14
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
29
Offices of Chiropractors
12
Offices of Dentists
44
Offices of Lawyers
67
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
4
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
11
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
4
Real Estate Credit
14
Repossession Services
2
Residential Property Managers
10
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
1
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
7
School and Employee Bus Transportation
12
Securities Brokerage
14
Shoe Stores
10
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
13
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Tax Preparation Services
7
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
4
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
11
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Veterinary Services
10
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
11
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
13

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Bel Air, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Costs of Franchise Ownership. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Companion Connection Senior Care and High Touch-High Tech. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Wine Franchises and Marketing, Sales and Advertising Franchises.

Note on Bel Air Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Bel Air, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Bel Air Business?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Maryland. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bel Air.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Business

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.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Bel Air, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Maryland company using the business name you have chosen.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Outsourcing. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.

Promoting Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Bel Air customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Advertising in Magazines is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Bel Air, Maryland, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Maryland universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking organizations for Bel Air entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Bel Air. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Bel Air and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Bel Air, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bel Air, Maryland

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Bel Air.

More Business Startup Guides for Maryland

Starting a Business in Baltimore
Starting a Business in Berlin

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