Starting a Business in York, Maine

Thinking about starting a business in York, Maine? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in York.

Are You Ready for the Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur?

Running your own business is demanding, and can be orders of magnitude more strenuous than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

• Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in York. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
• Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
• Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

What Business to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in York. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in York. Study York demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

York, Maine Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size	# of Businesses
1-4 Employees	3375
5-9 Employees	915
10-19 Employees	540
20-49 Employees	195
50-99 Employees	45
100-249 Employees	60
250-499 Employees	0
500-999 Employees	15
1000+ Employees	0
All York Businesses	5145

As a new York entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in York 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
Ambulance Services	1
Architectural Services	3
Art Dealers	1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores	2
Beauty Salons	4
Business Associations	2
Cemeteries and Crematories	1
Child Day Care Services	7
Civic and Social Organizations	1
Claims Adjusting	1
Computer and Software Stores	1
Computer Systems Design Services	2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining	1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities	1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus	2
Credit Unions	1
Custom Computer Programming Services	1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)	2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors	1
Electrical Contractors	6
Elementary and Secondary Schools	2
Engineering Services	2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services	1
Family Clothing Stores	1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	1
Finish Carpentry Contractors	3
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers	4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	3
Floor Covering Stores	1
Flooring Contractors	2
Florists	2
Framing Contractors	1
Freight Transportation Arrangement	1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning	1
Full-Service Restaurants	13
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services	1
General Automotive Repair	3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores	3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs	2
Graphic Design Services	2
Hardware Stores	1
Heating Oil Dealers	1
Historical Sites	1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores	1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers	1
Industrial Design Services	1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	7
Interior Design Services	1
Investment Advice	3
Janitorial Services	2
Jewelry Stores	1
Land Subdivision	2
Landscaping Services	15
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property	1
Libraries and Archives	1
Limited-Service Restaurants	5
Mail-Order Houses	1
Marinas	2
Marketing Consulting Services	1
Masonry Contractors	2
Nail Salons	1
New Car Dealers	2
New Housing Operative Builders	1
Newspaper Publishers	1
Nursing Care Facilities	1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores	1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants	1
Offices of Chiropractors	4
Offices of Dentists	5
Offices of Lawyers	7
Offices of Optometrists	1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores	1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services	3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals	1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores	1
Private Mail Centers	1
Professional Organizations	1
Quick Printing	1
Real Estate Credit	3
Recreational Goods Rental	1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers	1
Residential Property Managers	1
Residential Remodelers	3
Retail Bakeries	1
Savings Institutions	2
Securities Brokerage	1
Site Preparation Contractors	2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	4
Software Publishers	1
Sporting Goods Stores	2
Tax Preparation Services	1
Testing Laboratories	1
Textile Machinery Manufacturing	1
Travel Agencies	1
Used Car Dealers	1
Used Merchandise Stores	4
Veterinary Services	2
Video Tape and Disc Rental	1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	3
Zoos and Botanical Gardens	1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around York, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Evaluating Franchise Opportunities. 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.

Sample franchise opportunities include Subway Franchises and Starbucks Franchises. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Accounting Franchises and Moving Franchises.

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

Should You Buy an Existing York Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Maine. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in York.

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

Naming the Business

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

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

Forming a Company in York, Maine

A critical step is ensuring that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If 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 the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in York, Maine, our web page covering Incorporating in Maine may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Maine.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read The Art of the Executive Summary. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maine.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new York business will be harder than you might expect. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Investor Turnoffs.

For York entrepreneurs who need startup capital, 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 York business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some great resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Comparing Advertising to PR is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

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

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.

Hiring Good Sales People offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in York, Maine, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Maine universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for York entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in York, 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 York businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new York 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 York, Maine

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

• Resources for York, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist York 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.
• York, Maine Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for York, Maine newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the York area.

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