Starting a Business in Crisfield, Maryland

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

Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?

Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

• Talk to other entrepreneurs in Crisfield. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
• We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
• Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Crisfield, Maryland Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	255
5-9 Employees	75
10-19 Employees	51
20-49 Employees	24
50-99 Employees	9
100-249 Employees	6
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Crisfield Businesses	420

As a new Crisfield entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Crisfield 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
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	2
Boat Dealers	2
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing	1
Business Associations	1
Cable and Other Program Distribution	1
Civic and Social Organizations	2
Computer and Software Stores	2
Convenience Stores	1
Document Preparation Services	1
Electrical Contractors	2
Elementary and Secondary Schools	1
Finfish Fishing	1
Fish and Seafood Markets	1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers	6
Florists	1
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing	3
Full-Service Restaurants	4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
General Automotive Repair	3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	2
Grantmaking Foundations	2
Graphic Design Services	1
Hardware Stores	2
Household Appliance Stores	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	2
Internet Service Providers	1
Land Subdivision	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	8
Marketing Consulting Services	1
Masonry Contractors	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	1
Museums	1
New Car Dealers	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Dentists	2
Offices of Lawyers	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores	1
Payroll Services	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	1
Residential Remodelers	4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Sign Manufacturing	1
Specialty Canning	1
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	1

Forming a Company in Crisfield, Maryland

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The primary advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

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 Maryland, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Maryland. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Crisfield, Maryland, our information on Incorporating in Maryland may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Maryland.

Raising Capital for Your Business

Getting your Crisfield 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 504 Loans.

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

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Crisfield customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.

You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Comparing Advertising to PR is a good read to get your marketing thoughts flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Crisfield, Maryland, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Maryland educational institutions. It's also wise to see if there are any Crisfield networking organizations.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Crisfield. 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.

We are here to help Crisfield businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Crisfield 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 Crisfield, Maryland

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

• Resources for Crisfield, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Crisfield entrepreneurs.
• Maryland Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Maryland.
• Maryland Small Business Development Center - The Maryland Small Business Development Center Network has six regional offices and more than 20 locations where Maryland entrepreneurs can receive comprehensive, resources and relevant assistance.
• Crisfield, Maryland Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Crisfield, Maryland newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Crisfield area.

More Startup Articles for Maryland Cities
Starting a Business in Columbia
Starting a Business in Cumberland

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Maryland
Starting a Business Guides for Other States