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  Laurel, Maryland Resources for Entrepreneurs  
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Opening a Business in Laurel, Maryland

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

Laurel, Maryland Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees 31230
5-9 Employees 10890
10-19 Employees 9030
20-49 Employees 6120
50-99 Employees 2370
100-249 Employees 1080
250-499 Employees 270
500-999 Employees 120
1000+ Employees 60
All Laurel Businesses 61170

As a new Laurel entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Laurel 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 1
Amusement Arcades 1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance 6
Apprenticeship Training 1
Architectural Services 3
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing 1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair 1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops 5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores 12
Automotive Transmission Repair 3
Barber Shops 1
Beauty Salons 18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores 23
Book Publishers 1
Book Stores 3
Bowling Centers 1
Building Inspection Services 1
Business Associations 3
Business to Business Electronic Markets 1
Cafeterias 1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores 1
Car Washes 4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services 6
Caterers 2
Cemeteries and Crematories 2
Child Day Care Services 22
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores 3
Civic and Social Organizations 4
Claims Adjusting 2
Clothing Accessories Stores 6
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners 6
Collection Agencies 1
Commercial Lithographic Printing 10
Commodity Contracts Dealing 1
Computer and Software Stores 2
Computer Facilities Management Services 4
Computer Systems Design Services 25
Computer Training 1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing 1
Consumer Lending 5
Convenience Stores 13
Convention and Trade Show Organizers 1
Couriers 4
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services 2
Credit Unions 3
Custom Computer Programming Services 31
Deep Sea Freight Transportation 1
Dental Laboratories 6
Diagnostic Imaging Centers 2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers 4
Digital Printing 1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers 1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers 1
Discount Department Stores 3
Display Advertising 2
Document Preparation Services 3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 8
Drywall and Insulation Contractors 5
Electrical Contractors 25
Electronic Auctions 1
Elementary and Secondary Schools 2
Emergency and Other Relief Services 1
Employment Placement Agencies 2
Engineering Services 17
Environmental Consulting Services 2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring 2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services 3
Facilities Support Services 2
Family Clothing Stores 5
Family Planning Centers 1
Fine Arts Schools 3
Finish Carpentry Contractors 9
Fish and Seafood Markets 1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers 17
Floor Covering Stores 4
Flooring Contractors 9
Florists 4
Fluid Milk Manufacturing 1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores 5
Food Service Contractors 6
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair 1
Framing Contractors 3
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing 1
Full-Service Restaurants 48
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services 2
Furniture Stores 10
General Automotive Repair 35
General Freight Trucking, Local 4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1
General Warehousing and Storage 1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores 11
Glass and Glazing Contractors 1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs 4
Grantmaking Foundations 1
Graphic Design Services 6
Hardware Stores 3
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal 1
Heating Oil Dealers 1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores 6
Home Centers 2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers 3
Home Health Care Services 4
Homes for the Elderly 2
Household Appliance Stores 3
Industrial Design Services 1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages 30
Interior Design Services 3
International Trade Financing 1
Internet Service Providers 1
Investigation Services 3
Investment Advice 1
Janitorial Services 25
Jewelry Stores 12
Kidney Dialysis Centers 1
Land Subdivision 1
Landscape Architectural Services 3
Landscaping Services 17
Limited-Service Restaurants 63
Limousine Service 1
Linen Supply 1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery 4
Locksmiths 1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores 2
Mail-Order Houses 3
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers 2
Marketing Consulting Services 10
Masonry Contractors 4
Materials Recovery Facilities 1
Medical Laboratories 3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers 7
Motion Picture and Video Production 2
Motor Vehicle Towing 4
Motorcycle Dealers 1
Museums 1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores 1
Nail Salons 3
New Car Dealers 13
New Housing Operative Builders 3
Newspaper Publishers 1
Nonresidential Property Managers 2
Nursing Care Facilities 2
Office Administrative Services 10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores 2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants 11
Offices of Chiropractors 5
Offices of Dentists 52
Offices of Lawyers 22
Offices of Optometrists 2
Offices of Other Holding Companies 1
Offices of Podiatrists 5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers 4
One-Hour Photofinishing 1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing 1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers 1
Optical Goods Stores 5
Packing and Crating 1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores 2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors 8
Passenger Car Rental 2
Periodical Publishers 1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores 2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services 3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals 2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores 5
Photography Studios, Portrait 2
Professional Employer Organizations 1
Professional Organizations 4
Public Relations Agencies 1
Quick Printing 4
Racetracks 3
Radio Stations 3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing 1
Real Estate Credit 8
Real Estate Investment Trusts 2
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage 2
Repossession Services 1
Residential Property Managers 14
Residential Remodelers 47
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair 3
Roofing Contractors 8
Sales Financing 1
Savings Institutions 6
School and Employee Bus Transportation 6
Securities Brokerage 3
Shoe Stores 14
Siding Contractors 2
Sign Manufacturing 1
Site Preparation Contractors 4
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars 11
Software Publishers 4
Solid Waste Collection 5
Sound Recording Studios 2
Special Needs Transportation 1
Sporting Goods Stores 7
Sports and Recreation Instruction 6
Tax Preparation Services 6
Telecommunications Resellers 1
Telemarketing Bureaus 2
Temporary Help Services 9
Temporary Shelters 1
Testing Laboratories 1
Tire Dealers 4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices 6
Tobacco Stores 3
Translation and Interpretation Services 4
Travel Agencies 8
Used Car Dealers 12
Used Household and Office Goods Moving 1
Used Merchandise Stores 5
Vending Machine Operators 1
Veterinary Services 7
Video Tape and Disc Rental 5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services 2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters 1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers 18
Window Treatment Stores 1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers 3
Women's Clothing Stores 12

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Laurel, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Representative franchise opportunities include Orange Julius of America and Sir Speedy, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Gift Items Franchises and Home Furnishings Franchises.

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

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Laurel, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only Maryland company using the business name you have chosen.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, 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.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Laurel business, you need a excellent marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Facebook Advertising 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.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Laurel, Maryland, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Maryland educational institutions. We also recommend you look into Laurel networking organizations.

Never Give Up

Most new Laurel businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Laurel businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Laurel, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Laurel, Maryland

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

More Startup Articles for Maryland Cities
Starting a Business in Largo
Starting a Business in Lexington Park

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

 

 

Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Starting a Business - Business Ideas - Naming and Branding - City Guides

Buying a Business - Writing a Business Plan - Raising Money - Incorporate

Small Business Marketing - Customer Service Tips - Entrepreneurial Selling

Startup Leadership - Strategy - Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurs

Articles on Exporting - Human Resources for Entrepreneurs - Workers Comp

Legal Information for Entrepreneurs - Sarbanes-Oxley - Accounting - SBDC

Business Credit Cards - Nonprofit Entrepreneurs - Mission Statements

Tax Tips and Resources for Entrepreneurs - Operating Your Startup Business

Real Estate Decisions for Entrepreneurs - Franchising - Selling a Business

Starting a Home Business - Small Business Technology - Business Travel

Business Finance - Advice for Retailers - Entrepreneurship for Scientists

Administrative Professionals / Office Managers - Family Business Advice

Good Businesses to Start - Start an Energy Business - Start a Hedge Fund

Payroll Service Information - Productivity Tips - Bad Economy Advice

Small Business Websites - Search Engine Optimization - Online Reputation

Search Engine Marketing - Social Marketing Optimization - Business Forms

Business in the Jungle - Business in Fiction - Negotiating - Radio Ad Costs

Newspaper Advertising Rates - City-Specific Resources for Entrepreneurs

Small Business Insurance - Global Entrepreneurship - China & Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Features - Acquisition Speculation - Business Book Reviews

Small Business Loans - Studying Entrepreneurship - Social Entrepreneurship

Veteran Entrepreneurs - Useful Web Sites for Entrepreneurs - Dell Deals

Entrepreneurial Resources by State - Resources for Young Entrepreneurs

African American Entrepreneurs - Resources for Hispanic Entrepreneurs

Resources for Asian Entrepreneurs - Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

Resources for Gay Entrepreneurs - Businesses for Sale - Office Supplies

Economics - Lists of Small Business Incubators - Lists of Angel Investors

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms - Franchise Opportunities

Recommended Products and Services for Entrepreneurs - Contributors

Get FREE Price Quotes from Multiple Vendors - Business Glossary