Are you starting a business in Haverhill, Massachusetts? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Haverhill.
Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?
Most startup businesses don't make it, 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.
Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Haverhill. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- 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. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.
Haverhill, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Haverhill has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Haverhill demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Haverhill.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
5118 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2271 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1476 |
| 20-49 Employees |
963 |
| 50-99 Employees |
360 |
| 100-249 Employees |
243 |
| 250-499 Employees |
9 |
| 500-999 Employees |
9 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Haverhill Businesses |
10449 |
As a new Haverhill entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Haverhill 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 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
3 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Automobile Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Beauty Salons |
24 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
8 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Car Washes |
2 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
4 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
14 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Computer Training |
3 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
12 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
15 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
21 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
10 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
6 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
8 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
37 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
15 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
5 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Glove and Mitten Manufacturing |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
3 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
19 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
3 |
| Janitorial Services |
8 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
18 |
| Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
46 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
11 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
8 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
8 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
10 |
| Office Administrative Services |
6 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
9 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
8 |
| Offices of Dentists |
22 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
33 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
5 |
| Paper (except Newsprint) Mills |
1 |
| Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
14 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
7 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
4 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Skiing Facilities |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
17 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Software Reproducing |
2 |
| Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Taxi Service |
2 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
6 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
5 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
Forming a Company in Haverhill, Massachusetts
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Massachusetts, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Massachusetts. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
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 Where to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Haverhill, Massachusetts, our information on Incorporating in Massachusetts may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Massachusetts.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Haverhill business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Choosing VC Firms.
For Haverhill entrepreneurs who need startup capital, we have assembled a List of Massachusetts Angel Investors and our List of Massachusetts Venture Capital Firms.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
The best business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Massachusetts universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Haverhill entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Never Give Up
Most new Haverhill 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Haverhill and throughout the United States . 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 Haverhill, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Haverhill.
- Resources for Haverhill, Massachusetts Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Haverhill entrepreneurs.
- Massachusetts Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network provides one-to-one free comprehensive and confidential services focusing on, business growth and strategies, financing and loan assistance as well as strategic, marketing and operational analysis.
- Haverhill, Massachusetts Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Haverhill, Massachusetts newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Haverhill area.
- Haverhill, Massachusetts Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Haverhill, Massachusetts area radio stations.
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