Thinking about starting a business in Lowell, Massachusetts? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lowell.
Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?
Being an entrepreneur is hard work, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you certain you are ready to take on this challenge?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Lowell. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. 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.
What Business Are You Starting?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
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 Opening an Interdenominational Churches Business guide or our Opening a Lightning Protection Equipment & Systems Business guide.
Remember that your new startup will be located in Lowell. Some businesses will do better in Lowell than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Lowell demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Lowell, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Lowell has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lowell demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lowell.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
21200 |
| 5-9 Employees |
8008 |
| 10-19 Employees |
5008 |
| 20-49 Employees |
4288 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1296 |
| 100-249 Employees |
1128 |
| 250-499 Employees |
120 |
| 500-999 Employees |
24 |
| 1000+ Employees |
72 |
| All Lowell Businesses |
41144 |
As a new Lowell entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lowell 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 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
|
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
17 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
36 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
17 |
| Book Stores |
5 |
| Books Printing |
2 |
|
Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Caterers |
4 |
| Cellulosic Organic Fiber Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Cheese Manufacturing |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
8 |
| Child Day Care Services |
20 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
22 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
|
Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
10 |
|
Computer Training |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
30 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
7 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Dance Companies |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
20 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
19 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
7 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
|
Employment Placement Agencies |
13 |
| Engineering Services |
5 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
4 |
| Fabric Coating Mills |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
|
Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
9 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
6 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
15 |
|
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
51 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
8 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
8 |
| General Automotive Repair |
29 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local |
3 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
1 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
7 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
|
Hydroelectric Power Generation |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
34 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
12 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
11 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
61 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
10 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
3 |
|
Museums |
4 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
5 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
|
Nonwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
14 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
10 |
| Offices of Dentists |
26 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
80 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
5 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
11 |
|
Parking Lots and Garages |
5 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
13 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
2 |
|
Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
3 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
|
Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
11 |
| Residential Remodelers |
12 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
6 |
| Sales Financing |
3 |
| Savings Institutions |
14 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
|
Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
5 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
9 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
17 |
|
Software Publishers |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Sports Teams and Clubs |
2 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
|
Taxi Service |
2 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
18 |
| Temporary Shelters |
5 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
3 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
7 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
6 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
7 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Yarn Spinning Mills |
2 |
Naming the Company
A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.
Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Lowell, it's critical that you ensure that no other Massachusetts company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
A business plan is essential to the health of your new business. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Presentations. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.
Bring in Revenues
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Lowell business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Compensating Sales People offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Some InterestingLowell Entrepreneurs
We're compiling a number of interviews with Lowell entrepreneurs. Enjoy!
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Lowell, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Lowell and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lowell 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 Lowell, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lowell.
- Resources for Lowell, Massachusetts Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lowell 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.
- Lowell, Massachusetts Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lowell, Massachusetts newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lowell area.
- Lowell, Massachusetts Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Lowell, Massachusetts area radio stations.
- Lowell, Massachusetts Payroll Services - This list includes Lowell, Massachusetts payroll services, national payroll services for Lowell, and helpful information on choosing a Lowell payroll service.
- Lowell, Massachusetts Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Lowell, Massachusetts, such as business brokers in Lowell and other helpful information on how to buy a Lowell business.
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