Contemplating starting a business in Bowie, Maryland? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Bowie.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Bowie. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
Bowie, Maryland Demographic Information
Bowie has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Bowie demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Bowie.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
4654 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1740 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1170 |
| 20-49 Employees |
702 |
| 50-99 Employees |
276 |
| 100-249 Employees |
186 |
| 250-499 Employees |
36 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Bowie Businesses |
8764 |
As a new Bowie entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bowie 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 |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Beauty Salons |
17 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
4 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
20 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
36 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
24 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
4 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
15 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
19 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
6 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
12 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
7 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
37 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
4 |
| General Automotive Repair |
15 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
7 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
3 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
22 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
10 |
| Janitorial Services |
21 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
28 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
47 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
3 |
| Locksmiths |
4 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
8 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
6 |
| New Car Dealers |
3 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
2 |
| News Syndicates |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
10 |
| Offices of Dentists |
55 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
29 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
7 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
8 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
15 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
4 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
2 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
13 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
37 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
8 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
8 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
8 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
6 |
What About Buying an Existing Bowie Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Maryland. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bowie.
If you are headed down the path of buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
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.
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 Business.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Bowie, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another Maryland business.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.
Raising Capital for Your Venture
Raising money to fund your new Bowie business is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.
For Bowie entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Maryland Angel Investors and our List of Maryland Venture Capital Firms.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Bowie, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Bowie businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Bowie 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 Bowie, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Bowie.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Maryland
Starting a Business in Bethesda
Starting a Business in Brunswick
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Maryland
