Contemplating starting a business in Elkton, Maryland? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Elkton.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Elkton. 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.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good Business Ideas.
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 Starting a Physical & Biological Research Commercial Business guide or our Starting a Service Station Equipment Installation Business guide.
Don't forget that you are starting a business in Elkton. Some businesses will do better in Elkton than others. Make sure you fully understand Elkton demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Elkton, Maryland Demographic Information
Elkton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Elkton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Elkton.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
10432 |
| 5-9 Employees |
4560 |
| 10-19 Employees |
2808 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1608 |
| 50-99 Employees |
528 |
| 100-249 Employees |
360 |
| 250-499 Employees |
120 |
| 500-999 Employees |
96 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Elkton Businesses |
20512 |
As a new Elkton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Elkton 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 |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
7 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
|
Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
14 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
|
Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
6 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Electrical Contractors |
8 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
2 |
|
Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
1 |
|
Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
16 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
1 |
|
General Automotive Repair |
20 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
|
Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
13 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
11 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
25 |
|
Limousine Service |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
1 |
| Marinas |
5 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
|
Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
6 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nonwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
9 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
11 |
|
Offices of Lawyers |
29 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
6 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
7 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
|
Political Organizations |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
|
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
22 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
2 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
|
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
5 |
|
Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
|
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Elkton Business?
We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Maryland. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Elkton.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Writing a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Free Business Plan Templates. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.
Bring in Revenues
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Elkton or are selling to customers throughout Maryland, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Why Salespeople Fail offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Good entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Elkton, Maryland, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Maryland universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Elkton networking organizations.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Elkton. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Elkton and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Elkton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Elkton, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Elkton.
- Resources for Elkton, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Elkton 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.
- Elkton, Maryland Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Elkton, Maryland newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Elkton area.
- Elkton, Maryland Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Elkton, Maryland area radio stations.
- Elkton, Maryland Payroll Services - This list includes Elkton, Maryland payroll services, national payroll services for Elkton, and helpful information on choosing a Elkton payroll service.
- Elkton, Maryland Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Elkton, Maryland, such as business brokers in Elkton and other helpful information on how to buy a Elkton business.
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