Thinking about starting a business in Ocean City, Maryland? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Ocean City.
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 Free 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 Opening an Ornamental Plaster Mouldings Business guide or our Starting a Transportation & Public Utilities Law Attorneys Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Ocean City. Some businesses will do better in Ocean City than others. Study Ocean City demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Ocean City, Maryland Demographic Information
Ocean City has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Ocean City demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Ocean City.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
8492 |
| 5-9 Employees |
2612 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1596 |
| 20-49 Employees |
1080 |
| 50-99 Employees |
228 |
| 100-249 Employees |
84 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Ocean City Businesses |
14104 |
As a new Ocean City entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ocean City 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 |
| Amusement and Theme Parks |
2 |
| Amusement Arcades |
5 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
4 |
|
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
14 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
10 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
6 |
|
Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
4 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
|
Casino Hotels |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
2 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
6 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
6 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
2 |
|
Commercial Screen Printing |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
16 |
| Convenience Stores |
15 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
|
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
15 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
9 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
1 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
28 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
|
Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
|
Food Service Contractors |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
117 |
| Furniture Stores |
6 |
| General Automotive Repair |
3 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
30 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
4 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
9 |
| Interior Design Services |
2 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
10 |
| Jewelry Stores |
15 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
2 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants |
63 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Marinas |
4 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
8 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
|
Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
7 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
7 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
14 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
|
One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
4 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
10 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
|
Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Port and Harbor Operations |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Real Estate Credit |
7 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
13 |
| Residential Property Managers |
14 |
| Residential Remodelers |
17 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
|
Shoe Stores |
5 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
1 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
17 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
14 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
|
Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
1 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
9 |
Is Franchising a Better Option?
As you drive around Ocean City, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
Most business experts recommend that you evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Five Franchise Opportunities To Watch. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Best Personalized Books and Dollar Store Services. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Healthy Alternative Foods Franchises.
Note on Ocean City Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Ocean City, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ocean City Business?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Maryland. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Ocean City.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Naming the Company
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.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Ocean City, it's very important that you make sure no other Maryland company is using the business name you want to use.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.
Never Give Up
You have a dream -- starting a business in Ocean City. 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 Ocean City and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Ocean City, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ocean City, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Ocean City.
- Resources for Ocean City, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Ocean City 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.
- Ocean City, Maryland Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Ocean City, Maryland newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Ocean City area.
- Ocean City, Maryland Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Ocean City, Maryland area radio stations.
- Ocean City, Maryland Payroll Services - This list includes Ocean City, Maryland payroll services, national payroll services for Ocean City, and helpful information on choosing a Ocean City payroll service.
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