Massachusetts Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Canton, Massachusetts

Need help starting a business in Canton, Massachusetts? We've got the information you need to open a business in Canton.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Running your own business is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you sure you are ready to take on this challenge?

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 Canton. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • 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. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Canton, Massachusetts Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
18825
5-9 Employees
7290
10-19 Employees
5355
20-49 Employees
4950
50-99 Employees
2025
100-249 Employees
1080
250-499 Employees
270
500-999 Employees
225
1000+ Employees
135
All Canton Businesses
40155

As a new Canton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Canton 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
3
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
6
Book Stores
1
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
5
Computer Systems Design Services
10
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
5
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
8
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Educational Support Services
2
Electron Tube Manufacturing
1
Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing
1
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
7
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
3
Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
12
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
4
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
18
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
6
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
3
Household Appliance Stores
1
Hunting and Trapping
1
Interior Design Services
1
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
2
Land Subdivision
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
17
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
4
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
4
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Stamping
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
14
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
14
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Primary Battery Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
2
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
12
Retail Bakeries
1
Savings Institutions
5
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
3
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
10
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
1
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
2
Tax Preparation Services
2
Taxi Service
1
Testing Laboratories
5
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Weft Knit Fabric Mills
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
10
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
4

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Canton Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Massachusetts. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Canton.

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

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Canton business will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Canton entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, you'll want to take a look at our List of Massachusetts Angel Investors and our List of Massachusetts Venture Capital Firms.

Selling Tips

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

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

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

With your business being located in Canton, Massachusetts, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Massachusetts universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking organizations for Canton entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Canton, 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 Canton businesses to be successful. 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 Canton, Massachusetts

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

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