Contemplating starting a business in Westbrook, Maine? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Westbrook.
Which Business to Choose?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Fireproofing & Firestopping Materials & Supplies Business guide or our How to Start a Water Mains & Waterworks Business guide.
Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Westbrook. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Westbrook. Don't forget to review Westbrook demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Westbrook, Maine Demographic Information
Westbrook has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Westbrook demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Westbrook.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2745 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1071 |
| 10-19 Employees |
711 |
| 20-49 Employees |
594 |
| 50-99 Employees |
198 |
| 100-249 Employees |
108 |
| 250-499 Employees |
63 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Westbrook Businesses |
5490 |
As a new Westbrook entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Westbrook 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 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
3 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Beauty Salons |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
4 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
5 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Storage Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
3 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Dance Companies |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
5 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
1 |
| Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
4 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
9 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
5 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
1 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
4 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
2 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
3 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
12 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
4 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
2 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
4 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
11 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
7 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
13 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
5 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Administrative Services |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
5 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
2 |
| Offices of Dentists |
5 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
5 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Paper (except Newsprint) Mills |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
3 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Sales Financing |
3 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
3 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
7 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
3 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
2 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading) |
1 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
3 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
4 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
3 |
Should You Franchise?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Westbrook and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Days Inn Worldwide Inc. and Eclipse Hotels. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Repair Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.
Note on Westbrook Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Westbrook.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Westbrook 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 Westbrook.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Obtaining startup financing for your Westbrook business is a difficult chore. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Credit Evaluation.
For Westbrook entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of Maine Angel Investors and our List of Maine Venture Capital Firms.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To grow your Westbrook business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Exhibiting at Tradeshows is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Westbrook, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Westbrook and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Westbrook, Maine
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Westbrook.
- Resources for Westbrook, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Westbrook 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.
- Westbrook, Maine Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Westbrook, Maine newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Westbrook area.
More Startup Articles for Maine Cities
Starting a Business in Wells
Starting a Business in Windham
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Maine
