Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Stamford, Connecticut

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

Stamford, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
32152
5-9 Employees
10524
10-19 Employees
6912
20-49 Employees
5016
50-99 Employees
1860
100-249 Employees
912
250-499 Employees
360
500-999 Employees
96
1000+ Employees
120
All Stamford Businesses
57952

As a new Stamford entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Stamford 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
23
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
21
Art Dealers
6
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
6
Beauty Salons
46
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
17
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
8
Book Publishers
4
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
4
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
9
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
16
Child and Youth Services
16
Child Day Care Services
42
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
11
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
3
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
2
Community Food Services
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
6
Computer Systems Design Services
51
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
6
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
4
Credit Card Issuing
1
Credit Unions
6
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
65
Deep Sea Passenger Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Digital Printing
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
12
Direct Mail Advertising
5
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
15
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
3
Electrical Contractors
54
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
15
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
22
Engineering Services
23
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
6
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
13
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
18
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
31
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
5
Florists
11
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
4
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
6
Freight Transportation Arrangement
22
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
6
Furniture Stores
20
General Automotive Repair
32
General Freight Trucking, Local
8
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
16
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
9
Graphic Design Services
22
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Heating Oil Dealers
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
12
Home Health Care Services
8
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
4
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
62
Interior Design Services
8
International Trade Financing
4
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
4
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
64
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
16
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
9
Landscaping Services
118
Language Schools
2
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
84
Limousine Service
30
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
3
Locksmiths
3
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
3
Mail-Order Houses
6
Marinas
2
Marketing Consulting Services
40
Masonry Contractors
15
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
8
Meat Processed from Carcasses
1
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
8
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
13
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
15
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
3
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
4
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
12
New Car Dealers
17
New Housing Operative Builders
3
News Dealers and Newsstands
3
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
26
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
32
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
57
Offices of Chiropractors
18
Offices of Dentists
90
Offices of Optometrists
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
16
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
8
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
9
Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing
1
Parking Lots and Garages
5
Passenger Car Rental
10
Periodical Publishers
12
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
3
Political Organizations
2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Prepress Services
2
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
5
Public Relations Agencies
8
Quick Printing
6
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
15
Real Estate Investment Trusts
3
Reinsurance Carriers
17
Remediation Services
3
Residential Property Managers
16
Residential Remodelers
44
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
8
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
18
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
21
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
2
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
44
Security Guards and Patrol Services
11
Septic Tank and Related Services
4
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shellfish Fishing
1
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
7
Site Preparation Contractors
19
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
33
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
17
Solid Waste Collection
16
Special Needs Transportation
1
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
13
Sports and Recreation Instruction
9
Tax Preparation Services
7
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
44
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
8
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
3
Tour Operators
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
24
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
11
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
34
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
18
Women's Clothing Stores
25
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Stamford and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Detecting Franchising Scams. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Vintage Stock and Blue Collar Financial Group. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Fast Food Franchises and Pizza Franchises.

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

Should You Buy an Existing Stamford Business?

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

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Naming the Business

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

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

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Stamford, it's critical that you ensure that no other Connecticut company is using the business name you want to use.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your Stamford business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Choosing VC Firms.

For Stamford entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, you'll want to take a look at our List of Connecticut Angel Investors and our List of Connecticut Venture Capital Firms.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best business owners recognize that they don't know everything.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Stamford, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Connecticut universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Stamford entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Some Interesting Stamford Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Stamford entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Stamford, 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.

We are here to help Stamford businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Stamford, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Stamford, Connecticut

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Connecticut

Starting a Business in Southington
Starting a Business in Storrs Mansfield

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Connecticut
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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