Starting a Business in Mount Airy, Maryland

Are you starting a business in Mount Airy, Maryland? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Mount Airy.

Which Business to Choose?

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 Good Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Chocolate & Cocoa Retail Business guide or our Starting a Timing Devices Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Mount Airy has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Mount Airy than others. Make sure you fully understand Mount Airy demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Mount Airy, Maryland Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	4218
5-9 Employees	1071
10-19 Employees	783
20-49 Employees	450
50-99 Employees	81
100-249 Employees	90
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	0
1000+ Employees	0
All Mount Airy Businesses	6693

As a new Mount Airy entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Mount Airy 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
Appliance Repair and Maintenance	1
Architectural Services	2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	3
Barber Shops	1
Beauty Salons	9
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	6
Books Printing	1
Bowling Centers	1
Building Inspection Services	3
Business Associations	1
Business to Business Electronic Markets	1
Car Washes	2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services	1
Child Day Care Services	6
Civic and Social Organizations	3
Claims Adjusting	1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners	1
Computer and Software Stores	2
Computer Facilities Management Services	1
Computer Systems Design Services	8
Convenience Stores	1
Custom Computer Programming Services	7
Dental Laboratories	1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers	1
Discount Department Stores	1
Document Preparation Services	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	3
Electrical Contractors	38
Electronic Shopping	1
Engineering Services	4
Environmental Consulting Services	3
Family Clothing Stores	1
Fine Arts Schools	3
Finish Carpentry Contractors	5
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	4
Floor Covering Stores	2
Flooring Contractors	4
Florists	2
Framing Contractors	7
Full-Service Restaurants	13
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
Furniture Stores	1
General Automotive Repair	12
General Freight Trucking, Local	9
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	2
Graphic Design Services	2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers	1
Hardware Stores	1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	1
Homes for the Elderly	2
Household Appliance Stores	1
Human Rights Organizations	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	11
Investment Advice	3
Janitorial Services	8
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	1
Landscape Architectural Services	1
Landscaping Services	39
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	1
Libraries and Archives	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	16
Limousine Service	1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery	1
Locksmiths	1
Marketing Consulting Services	2
Masonry Contractors	5
Meat Markets	1
Media Representatives	1
Medical Laboratories	1
Motion Picture and Video Production	1
Motor Vehicle Towing	3
Musical Groups and Artists	1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing	1
Nail Salons	2
New Car Dealers	3
New Housing Operative Builders	4
Newspaper Publishers	2
Nursing Care Facilities	2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	4
Offices of Chiropractors	3
Offices of Dentists	11
Offices of Lawyers	6
Offices of Optometrists	2
Offices of Podiatrists	1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers	2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Packaging and Labeling Services	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	9
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores	1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	3
Photography Studios, Portrait	2
Political Organizations	2
Portfolio Management	1
Primary Battery Manufacturing	1
Professional Organizations	1
Real Estate Credit	2
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage	1
Residential Remodelers	38
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair	1
Roofing Contractors	5
Satellite Telecommunications	2
School and Employee Bus Transportation	6
Securities Brokerage	2
Septic Tank and Related Services	1
Shoe Stores	1
Siding Contractors	3
Sign Manufacturing	1
Site Preparation Contractors	21
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	4
Software Publishers	2
Sporting Goods Stores	1
Sports and Recreation Instruction	1
Tax Preparation Services	1
Temporary Help Services	1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	4
Tire Dealers	1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices	1
Translation and Interpretation Services	1
Truss Manufacturing	1
Used Merchandise Stores	4
Vending Machine Operators	1
Veterinary Services	7
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	8
Wired Telecommunications Carriers	3
Women's Clothing Stores	2

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Mount Airy and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Credit and Franchise Purchasing. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Spherion Corporation and The Palms Tanning Resort. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Video and DVD Rental Franchises and Auto Parts and Tools Franchises.

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

Picking a Company Name

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Mount Airy, it's critical that you ensure that no other Maryland company is using the business name you want to use.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Mount Airy business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.

For Mount Airy entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Maryland Angel Investors and our List of Maryland Venture Capital Firms.

The Art of Selling

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Mount Airy business, you need to focus on sales.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Writing Great Proposals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Mount Airy, 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 Mount Airy and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Mount Airy, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Mount Airy, Maryland

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

• Resources for Mount Airy, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Mount Airy 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.
• Mount Airy, Maryland Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Mount Airy, Maryland newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Mount Airy area.

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