Maine Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Saco, Maine

Contemplating starting a business in Saco, Maine? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Saco.

Saco, Maine Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1804
5-9 Employees
708
10-19 Employees
372
20-49 Employees
378
50-99 Employees
102
100-249 Employees
42
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Saco Businesses
3418

As a new Saco entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Saco 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
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
2
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Beauty Salons
4
Book Publishers
1
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
3
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
10
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Photography
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
4
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Drafting Services
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electrical Contractors
11
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Engineering Services
6
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
2
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
5
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
19
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
General Automotive Repair
10
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Interior Design Services
1
Janitorial Services
7
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
8
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
13
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
2
Marinas
1
Masonry Contractors
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Museums
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
8
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Dentists
6
Offices of Lawyers
22
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Quick Printing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
8
Roofing Contractors
2
Savings Institutions
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
3
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Small Arms Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tortilla Manufacturing
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Visit the business district of Saco and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as The Franchising Process. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Baby Boot Camp (now Momleta) and Latino Income Tax. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dollar Store Franchises and Dry Cleaning & Laundry Franchises.

Note on Saco Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Saco, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Should You Buy an Existing Saco Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Maine. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Saco.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Selecting a Name For Your Venture

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Saco, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another Maine business.

Company Formation in Saco, Maine

A critical step is ensuring that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Maine, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Maine. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Nevada Incorporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Saco, Maine, our web page covering Incorporating in Maine may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Maine.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

Having a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Expert Advice on Business Plans. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Maine.

Bring in Revenues

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

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.

Sales Training is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Saco, 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 Saco and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Saco 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 Saco, Maine

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

  • Resources for Saco, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Saco 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.

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