Massachusetts Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Boston, Massachusetts
Need help starting a business in Boston, Massachusetts? We've got the information you need to open a business in Boston.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Most new businesses do not succeed, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.
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:
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Boston. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Boston, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Boston has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Boston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Boston.
Businesses
As a new Boston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Boston 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.
Businesses
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Boston Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Massachusetts. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Boston.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.
Choosing a Company Name
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.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Boston, it's imperative that you check now that no Massachusetts company has already registered the company name you have selected.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Obtaining startup financing for your Boston 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.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Boston entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, you'll want to take a look at our List of Massachusetts Angel Investors and our List of Massachusetts Venture Capital Firms.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Boston, Massachusetts, you should get information on some of the many programs available at nearby Massachusetts universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Boston networking organizations.
Interviews With Boston Entrepreneurs
Enjoy these interviews we've had with Boston entrepreneurs.
- Interview with Entrepreneur Stacy Kannenberg
- Interview with Greg Selkoe, Founder of Karmaloop.com
- Interview with Bill Jacobson and David Ulrich, Co-Founders of WorkBar
- Interview with Richard Sparacio, Co-Founder of MaidPro
- Interview with Heather Logrippo, Founder of ExposeYourself Public Relations
- Interview with Eugene Aronsky, Founder of We Compare Books
What's Next?
Most new Boston businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Boston and throughout the United States . 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 Boston, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Boston.
- Resources for Boston, Massachusetts Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Boston entrepreneurs.
- Massachusetts Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network provides one-to-one free comprehensive and confidential services focusing on, business growth and strategies, financing and loan assistance as well as strategic, marketing and operational analysis.
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