Thinking about starting a business in Lewiston, Maine? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lewiston.
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 How to Start a Motorcycle & Motor Scooter Rental Business guide or our Starting a Food Service Industrial Business guide.
Don't forget that starting a business in Lewiston has some implications. If Lewiston already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Lewiston demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Lewiston, Maine Demographic Information
Lewiston has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lewiston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lewiston.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
12496 |
| 5-9 Employees |
5616 |
| 10-19 Employees |
4080 |
| 20-49 Employees |
2856 |
| 50-99 Employees |
744 |
| 100-249 Employees |
528 |
| 250-499 Employees |
264 |
| 500-999 Employees |
72 |
| 1000+ Employees |
48 |
| All Lewiston Businesses |
26704 |
As a new Lewiston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lewiston 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
7 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
12 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
3 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
3 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Cane Sugar Refining |
1 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
2 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
3 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
20 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
15 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
8 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
9 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Distilleries |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
3 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
6 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
4 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
12 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
6 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
32 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
11 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
4 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
5 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
21 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Iron Foundries |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
12 |
| Jewelry Stores |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
6 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
23 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
2 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
3 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
5 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
5 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
7 |
| Offices of Dentists |
8 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
26 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
5 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
9 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plastics Bag Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
4 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
7 |
| Residential Remodelers |
5 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Savings Institutions |
6 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
5 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
3 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
4 |
| Temporary Shelters |
5 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Thread Mills |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
6 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Lewiston Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Maine. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Lewiston.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Writing a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maine.
Letting the World Know You Exist
Whether your goal is to attract Lewiston customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Avoiding Bad Product Launches is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Selling Tips
Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Lewiston or are selling to customers throughout Maine, 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. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
The Art of Customer Referrals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Lewiston. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Lewiston and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lewiston 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 Lewiston, Maine
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lewiston.
- Resources for Lewiston, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lewiston entrepreneurs.
- Maine Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Maine.
- Maine Small Business Development Center - Maine Small Business Development Centers and its technology-focused group, the Maine Small Business & Technology Development Centers, provide comprehensive business management assistance, training, resource and information services to Maine's entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Lewiston, Maine Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lewiston, Maine newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lewiston area.
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