Thinking about starting a business in Paterson, New Jersey? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Paterson.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Finding Your Niche in Life.
Don't forget that starting a business in Paterson has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Paterson than others. Don't forget to review Paterson demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Paterson has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Paterson demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Paterson.
As a new Paterson entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Paterson 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 |
| Abrasive Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Adhesive Manufacturing |
3 |
| Advertising Agencies |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
17 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
7 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
31 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
55 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
4 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
3 |
| Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing |
1 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Car Washes |
16 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
5 |
| Child Day Care Services |
26 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
10 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
20 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
6 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
9 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
3 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
1 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Convenience Stores |
18 |
| Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
2 |
| Custom Roll Forming |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
6 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
36 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
9 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
20 |
| Electronic Shopping |
2 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
5 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
11 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
6 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
7 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
9 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
54 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
12 |
| General Automotive Repair |
33 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
13 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
5 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
2 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
6 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
5 |
| Historical Sites |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
5 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Home Health Care Services |
5 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
4 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Inorganic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
14 |
| Interior Design Services |
3 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
13 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
11 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
15 |
| Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing |
1 |
| Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
79 |
| Limousine Service |
3 |
| Linen Supply |
5 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
18 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
3 |
| Meat Markets |
12 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
2 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
8 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
7 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
1 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
4 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
14 |
| Offices of Dentists |
18 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
43 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Open-End Investment Funds |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outerwear Knitting Mills |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
4 |
| Packing and Crating |
2 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
4 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
23 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plastics Bag Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plastics Bottle Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
6 |
| Repossession Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
5 |
| Residential Remodelers |
12 |
| Retail Bakeries |
5 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
4 |
| Roofing Contractors |
8 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
2 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
9 |
| Shoe Stores |
11 |
| Siding Contractors |
4 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
4 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
3 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
4 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
3 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Storage Battery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Surface Active Agent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
4 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
8 |
| Temporary Shelters |
4 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Textile Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
2 |
| Tour Operators |
2 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
4 |
| Travel Agencies |
18 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
18 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
1 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
2 |
| Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
13 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
13 |
| Women's Handbag and Purse Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, 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.
Whether your goal is to attract Paterson customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a excellent marketing plan.
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Paterson business to do well.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Most new Paterson businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Paterson businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Paterson, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Paterson.