Maryland Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Annapolis, Maryland

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur is hard work, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Annapolis. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Annapolis, Maryland Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
11694
5-9 Employees
4482
10-19 Employees
2802
20-49 Employees
2064
50-99 Employees
684
100-249 Employees
312
250-499 Employees
96
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
12
All Annapolis Businesses
22158

As a new Annapolis entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Annapolis 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
12
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
27
Art Dealers
8
Automobile Driving Schools
3
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
6
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
21
Boat Building
9
Boat Dealers
30
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
7
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
16
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
4
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Car Washes
6
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
6
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
16
Civic and Social Organizations
17
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
11
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
56
Computer Training
2
Consumer Lending
7
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
8
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
5
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
39
Dance Companies
1
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Deep Sea Passenger Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
3
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
7
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
9
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
23
Electronic Shopping
6
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
65
Environmental Consulting Services
15
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
6
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
23
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
12
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
18
Floor Covering Stores
11
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
8
Food Service Contractors
9
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
6
Furniture Stores
21
General Automotive Repair
36
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
10
Graphic Design Services
18
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
5
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
7
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Building Construction
1
Inland Water Freight Transportation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
51
Interior Design Services
21
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
23
Jewelry Stores
27
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
13
Landscaping Services
31
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
83
Locksmiths
3
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
8
Marinas
21
Marine Cargo Handling
1
Marketing Consulting Services
22
Masonry Contractors
11
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
17
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
4
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
2
Nail Salons
6
New Housing Operative Builders
6
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
9
Nursing Care Facilities
7
Office Administrative Services
16
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
34
Offices of Chiropractors
12
Offices of Dentists
56
Offices of Lawyers
144
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
4
Offices of Podiatrists
5
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
15
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
12
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
12
Political Organizations
6
Port and Harbor Operations
1
Portfolio Management
11
Prepress Services
2
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
9
Quick Printing
3
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
25
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
13
Residential Remodelers
57
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
5
Sales Financing
3
School and Employee Bus Transportation
3
Securities Brokerage
15
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Ship Building and Repairing
2
Shoe Stores
27
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
7
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
20
Software Publishers
8
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sound Recording Studios
2
Sporting Goods Stores
20
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Tax Preparation Services
9
Taxi Service
4
Temporary Help Services
14
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
3
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
27
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
3
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
17
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Web Search Portals
1
Window Treatment Stores
4
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
16
Women's Clothing Stores
33

Naming the Company

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Annapolis, it's critical that you ensure that no other Maryland company is using the business name you want to use.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Having a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Annapolis 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.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Annapolis entrepreneurs who need startup capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Maryland Angel Investors and our List of Maryland Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Startup

Whether your goal is to attract Annapolis customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Writing Contributed Articles is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Annapolis, 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 Annapolis 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 Annapolis, Maryland

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