Are you starting a business in Bremerton, Washington? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Bremerton.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
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 Opening a Bookcases & Bookstands Business guide or our Opening a Cassette Tape Duplication Services Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Bremerton. Some businesses will do better in Bremerton than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Bremerton demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Bremerton, Washington Demographic Information
Bremerton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Bremerton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Bremerton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2510 |
| 5-9 Employees |
864 |
| 10-19 Employees |
651 |
| 20-49 Employees |
426 |
| 50-99 Employees |
129 |
| 100-249 Employees |
63 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
3 |
| All Bremerton Businesses |
4658 |
As a new Bremerton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bremerton 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 |
| Aircraft Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
3 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
17 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
20 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
15 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
4 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
6 |
| Convenience Stores |
14 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
8 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
5 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
4 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
3 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
12 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
11 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
20 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
6 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
8 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
49 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
19 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
5 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
4 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
15 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Inland Water Passenger Transportation |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
22 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
3 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
23 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
5 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
57 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
3 |
| Marinas |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
3 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
12 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
6 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
9 |
| Offices of Dentists |
33 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
19 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
11 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
4 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
14 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
2 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
10 |
| Residential Remodelers |
25 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
5 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
5 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
27 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
5 |
| Timber Tract Operations |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
9 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
9 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
7 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
6 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
9 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
5 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Yarn Spinning Mills |
1 |
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.
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?
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 starting a business in Bremerton, it's critical that you ensure that no other Washington company is using the business name you want to use.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Washington.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Bremerton business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Bremerton entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of Washington Angel Investors and our List of Washington Venture Capital Firms.
Promoting Your New Company
Whether your goal is to attract Bremerton customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.
You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Comparing Advertising to PR is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Bremerton, 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 Bremerton businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Bremerton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bremerton, Washington
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Bremerton.
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