Are you starting a business in Salisbury, Maryland? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Salisbury.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.
Don't forget that you are starting a business in Salisbury. Some businesses will do better in Salisbury than others. Study Salisbury demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Salisbury has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Salisbury demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Salisbury.
As a new Salisbury entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Salisbury 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 |
3 |
| Ambulance Services |
2 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
8 |
| Art Dealers |
3 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
7 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Beauty Salons |
31 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Building |
2 |
| Boat Dealers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
7 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business Associations |
6 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Car Washes |
7 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
15 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
14 |
| Claims Adjusting |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
4 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
6 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
3 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
16 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
5 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins |
2 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
11 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
21 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
4 |
| Engineering Services |
12 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
10 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
10 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
3 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
4 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
4 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
14 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
9 |
| Flooring Contractors |
5 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
6 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
53 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
6 |
| Furniture Stores |
9 |
| General Automotive Repair |
10 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
11 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
5 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
6 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
4 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
6 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
8 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
5 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
38 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
21 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
13 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
2 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
22 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
72 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Logging |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Manifold Business Forms Printing |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
12 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
4 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motor and Generator Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
5 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
3 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
11 |
| Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
25 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
8 |
| Offices of Dentists |
41 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
57 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
17 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
7 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
6 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
13 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
3 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
12 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
10 |
| Port and Harbor Operations |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
3 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
12 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
14 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
8 |
| Residential Remodelers |
33 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
3 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
11 |
| Securities Brokerage |
10 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
2 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
13 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
4 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
6 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Soybean Processing |
3 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
8 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
3 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Taxi Service |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
8 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
9 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
7 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
11 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
6 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
3 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
8 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
11 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
16 |
As you drive around Salisbury, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Mistakes. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
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.
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.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Salisbury, it's critical that you ensure that no other Maryland company is using the business name you want to use.
Getting your Salisbury business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
Good entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Salisbury, Maryland, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Maryland universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any networking organizations for Salisbury entrepreneurs.
As an entrepreneur in Salisbury, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Salisbury businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Salisbury entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Salisbury.
