Thinking about starting a business in Dundalk, Maryland? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Dundalk.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Most startup ventures fail, in part because the business owner did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
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 Dundalk. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.
Dundalk, Maryland Demographic Information
Dundalk has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Dundalk demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Dundalk.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1317 |
| 5-9 Employees |
564 |
| 10-19 Employees |
309 |
| 20-49 Employees |
240 |
| 50-99 Employees |
78 |
| 100-249 Employees |
48 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Dundalk Businesses |
2568 |
As a new Dundalk entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Dundalk 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 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
9 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
|
Beauty Salons |
13 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
12 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
14 |
|
Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
10 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
|
Custom Roll Forming |
1 |
| Deep Sea Freight Transportation |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Distilleries |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
20 |
|
Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
|
Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
8 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
23 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
|
Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
27 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
14 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
5 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
10 |
| Investigation Services |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
11 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
4 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
41 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
3 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
|
Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Can Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
|
New Car Dealers |
7 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
3 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
|
Offices of Dentists |
14 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
20 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
|
Payroll Services |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Port and Harbor Operations |
2 |
|
Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
5 |
| Residential Remodelers |
17 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
6 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
|
Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
2 |
|
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
3 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Dundalk and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Law. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Buyer Lender and HomeVestors. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Candy and Chocolate Franchises and Fitness Franchises.
Note on Dundalk Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Dundalk.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Dundalk Business?
We've created a handy 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 Dundalk.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Marketing Your New Venture
To rise above the crowd in Dundalk and build your business, you need a excellent marketing plan.
There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Six Tips for Getting Customer Testimonials discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good business owners recognize that they don't know everything.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Dundalk, Maryland, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Maryland educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Dundalk networking organizations.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Dundalk businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Dundalk businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Dundalk, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Dundalk.
- Resources for Dundalk, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Dundalk 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.
- Dundalk, Maryland Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Dundalk, Maryland newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Dundalk area.
- Dundalk, Maryland Payroll Services - This list includes Dundalk, Maryland payroll services, national payroll services for Dundalk, and helpful information on choosing a Dundalk payroll service.
- Dundalk, Maryland Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Dundalk, Maryland, such as business brokers in Dundalk and other helpful information on how to buy a Dundalk business.
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