Massachusetts Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Contemplating starting a business in Cambridge, Massachusetts? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Cambridge.

Cambridge, Massachusetts Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
65663
5-9 Employees
25428
10-19 Employees
17849
20-49 Employees
14313
50-99 Employees
6708
100-249 Employees
3588
250-499 Employees
1053
500-999 Employees
273
1000+ Employees
468
All Cambridge Businesses
135343

As a new Cambridge entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cambridge 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
Air Traffic Control
1
Ambulance Services
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
78
Armored Car Services
1
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
4
Beauty Salons
34
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
4
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
15
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Book Publishers
9
Book Stores
17
Bowling Centers
1
Breweries
2
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
5
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
4
Car Washes
2
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
11
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
29
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Bakeries
3
Commercial Photography
2
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Community Food Services
3
Computer and Software Stores
8
Computer Facilities Management Services
5
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
45
Confectionery and Nut Stores
4
Convenience Stores
23
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
95
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
4
Document Preparation Services
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
25
Educational Support Services
18
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
10
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Employment Placement Agencies
7
Engineering Services
39
Environmental Consulting Services
9
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
7
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Planning Centers
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fish and Seafood Markets
6
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
17
Floor Covering Stores
6
Florists
6
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
5
Food Service Contractors
38
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
9
Grantmaking Foundations
11
Graphic Design Services
20
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
5
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Historical Sites
1
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
4
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
5
Industrial Design Services
2
Interior Design Services
12
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
7
Internet Service Providers
6
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
29
Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Janitorial Services
17
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
7
Landscaping Services
9
Language Schools
4
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
103
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
9
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
30
Masonry Contractors
2
Meat Markets
2
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
9
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
14
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
4
News Syndicates
2
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
14
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
16
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
9
Offices of Dentists
49
Offices of Lawyers
79
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
3
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Parking Lots and Garages
31
Passenger Car Rental
4
Payroll Services
2
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
17
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
5
Prepress Services
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
8
Public Relations Agencies
12
Quick Printing
1
Radio Stations
4
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Residential Property Managers
17
Residential Remodelers
20
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Securities Brokerage
9
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Shellfish Fishing
1
Shoe Stores
28
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
35
Solid Waste Collection
2
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
13
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Tax Preparation Services
7
Taxi Service
4
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telephone Answering Services
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
10
Temporary Shelters
5
Testing Laboratories
4
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
3
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
25
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
14
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6
Voluntary Health Organizations
4
Web Search Portals
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
10
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
22

Should You Buy an Existing Cambridge Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Massachusetts. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Cambridge.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Choosing a Company Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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

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 starting a business in Cambridge, it's very important that you make sure no Massachusetts company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Obtaining startup financing for your Cambridge business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on finding startup capital, such as Realistic Debt Financing Options.

For Cambridge entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, you'll want to take a look at our List of Massachusetts Angel Investors and our List of Massachusetts Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in Cambridge and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Promoting an Online Business is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Ramping Up Sales

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Cambridge or are selling to customers throughout Massachusetts, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

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.

Selling Stuff on the Web offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Cambridge. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Cambridge businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Cambridge 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 Cambridge, Massachusetts

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

More Startup Articles for Massachusetts Cities

Starting a Business in Brookline
Starting a Business in Canton

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

 

 

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