Starting a Business in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Thinking about starting a business in Bridgewater, New Jersey? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Bridgewater.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

• Speak with other entrepreneurs in Bridgewater. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
• You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
• Talk it over with a close friend or partner. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Evaluating Your Idea.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Bridgewater. Some businesses will do better in Bridgewater than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Bridgewater demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Bridgewater, New Jersey Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	11598
5-9 Employees	3996
10-19 Employees	2988
20-49 Employees	1890
50-99 Employees	1044
100-249 Employees	666
250-499 Employees	126
500-999 Employees	162
1000+ Employees	72
All Bridgewater Businesses	22542

As a new Bridgewater entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bridgewater 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	3
Ambulance Services	1
Architectural Services	6
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair	1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	1
Automotive Transmission Repair	1
Baked Goods Stores	1
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	12
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers	1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	1
Book Stores	7
Building Inspection Services	1
Business Associations	2
Cafeterias	3
Car Washes	1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services	1
Caterers	4
Child and Youth Services	2
Child Day Care Services	15
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores	6
Civic and Social Organizations	4
Clothing Accessories Stores	4
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Commercial Photography	1
Community Food Services	1
Computer and Software Stores	4
Computer Facilities Management Services	4
Computer Systems Design Services	26
Confectionery and Nut Stores	4
Consumer Lending	4
Convenience Stores	4
Convention and Trade Show Organizers	2
Credit Card Issuing	1
Credit Unions	6
Custom Computer Programming Services	52
Diagnostic Imaging Centers	1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers	3
Discount Department Stores	1
Display Advertising	1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	3
Educational Support Services	1
Electrical Contractors	15
Elementary and Secondary Schools	2
Employment Placement Agencies	5
Engineering Services	19
Environmental Consulting Services	4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring	3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services	2
Family Clothing Stores	11
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage	2
Fine Arts Schools	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	5
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	13
Flooring Contractors	1
Florists	2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores	1
Food Service Contractors	18
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation	1
Framing Contractors	1
Freight Transportation Arrangement	3
Full-Service Restaurants	26
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	6
General Automotive Repair	7
General Freight Trucking, Local	4
General Warehousing and Storage	3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	13
Glass and Glazing Contractors	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	1
Grantmaking Foundations	1
Graphic Design Services	2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers	1
Heating Oil Dealers	1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	4
Home Centers	3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	1
Home Health Care Services	3
Homes for the Elderly	7
Household Appliance Stores	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	11
Interior Design Services	1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting	1
Internet Service Providers	1
Investment Advice	4
Iron and Steel Mills	2
Janitorial Services	8
Jewelry Stores	15
Land Subdivision	3
Landscaping Services	25
Language Schools	1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	28
Limousine Service	2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Machine Shops	1
Marinas	1
Marketing Consulting Services	12
Masonry Contractors	3
Meat Markets	1
Men's Clothing Stores	4
Metal Heat Treating	1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing	1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers	1
Motion Picture and Video Production	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	1
Museums	1
Nail Salons	1
New Car Dealers	8
New Housing Operative Builders	3
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nonresidential Property Managers	2
Nursing Care Facilities	3
Office Administrative Services	3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers	2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	12
Offices of Chiropractors	6
Offices of Dentists	15
Offices of Lawyers	25
Offices of Optometrists	6
Offices of Other Holding Companies	2
Offices of Podiatrists	3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	2
One-Hour Photofinishing	1
Optical Goods Stores	3
Packing and Crating	2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	9
Passenger Car Leasing	1
Payroll Services	1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Photography Studios, Portrait	3
Portfolio Management	5
Private Mail Centers	1
Professional Employer Organizations	1
Professional Organizations	1
Public Relations Agencies	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Real Estate Credit	4
Remediation Services	1
Residential Property Managers	4
Residential Remodelers	10
Retail Bakeries	2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Sales Financing	1
Savings Institutions	3
School and Employee Bus Transportation	2
Securities Brokerage	7
Shoe Stores	15
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	5
Software Publishers	5
Solid Waste Collection	1
Sporting Goods Stores	5
Sports and Recreation Instruction	2
Sports Teams and Clubs	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	8
Textile Machinery Manufacturing	1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers	1
Tire Dealers	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Travel Agencies	2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving	5
Vending Machine Operators	1
Veterinary Services	3
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Voluntary Health Organizations	1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters	1
Web Search Portals	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	7
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	11
Women's Clothing Stores	22

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Visit the business district of Bridgewater and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Franchise a Business. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

Note on Bridgewater Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Bridgewater.

What About Buying an Existing Bridgewater Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in New Jersey. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bridgewater.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

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.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

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 planning on starting a business in Bridgewater, it's very important that you make sure no other New Jersey company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Bridgewater, New Jersey

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in New Jersey, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in New Jersey. As it turns out, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Piercing the Corporate Veil. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Bridgewater, New Jersey, our information on Incorporating in New Jersey may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in New Jersey.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

Having a business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in New Jersey.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Bridgewater business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Choosing VC Firms.

For Bridgewater entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of New Jersey Angel Investors and our List of New Jersey Venture Capital Firms.

Letting the World Know You Exist

To rise above the crowd in Bridgewater and advance your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Branding Advice is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Bridgewater or are selling to customers throughout New Jersey, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

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.

Tips on Customer Referrals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

With your business being located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby New Jersey universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Bridgewater entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Bridgewater. 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 Bridgewater and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Bridgewater 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 Bridgewater, New Jersey

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

• Resources for Bridgewater, New Jersey Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Bridgewater entrepreneurs.
• New Jersey Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in New Jersey.
• New Jersey Small Business Development Center - The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network helps New Jersey small businesses expand operations, manage growth or launch new ventures. With offices in every county of the state, NJSBDC consultants help small business owners finance, market and manage their ventures.
• Bridgewater, New Jersey Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Bridgewater, New Jersey newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Bridgewater area.

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