New Jersey Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Contemplating starting a business in Elizabeth, New Jersey? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, New Jersey Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
33800
5-9 Employees
10560
10-19 Employees
6456
20-49 Employees
4152
50-99 Employees
1704
100-249 Employees
1032
250-499 Employees
264
500-999 Employees
168
1000+ Employees
72
All Elizabeth Businesses
58208

As a new Elizabeth entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Elizabeth 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
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
5
Armored Car Services
3
Automobile Driving Schools
5
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
12
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
28
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
31
Book Stores
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
2
Car Washes
12
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child Day Care Services
11
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
12
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
13
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
1
Convenience Stores
14
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
1
Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Credit Unions
9
Custom Computer Programming Services
2
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
3
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
6
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
14
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Engineering Services
4
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
31
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
15
Fish and Seafood Markets
3
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Flooring Contractors
6
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
5
Food Service Contractors
9
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
2
Framing Contractors
6
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
6
Full-Service Restaurants
88
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
8
Fur and Leather Apparel Manufacturing
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
7
General Freight Trucking, Local
54
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Warehousing and Storage
18
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
17
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Stores
4
Hat, Cap, and Millinery Manufacturing
1
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Heating Oil Dealers
2
HMO Medical Centers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
8
Homes for the Elderly
1
Household Appliance Stores
3
Ice Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
16
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
1
Jewelry Stores
31
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
5
Language Schools
4
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
80
Limousine Service
5
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
3
Locksmiths
2
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
7
Marine Cargo Handling
4
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
4
Media Representatives
1
Men's Clothing Stores
16
Metal Stamping
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
3
Mobile Food Services
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
6
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
10
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
9
Offices of Dentists
55
Offices of Lawyers
47
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
8
Passenger Car Leasing
2
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
21
Political Organizations
1
Poultry Processing
1
Prepress Services
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
1
Quick Printing
2
Radio Networks
1
Real Estate Credit
5
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
8
Residential Remodelers
37
Retail Bakeries
5
Roofing Contractors
4
Savings Institutions
11
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
33
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
29
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
3
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
6
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Temporary Help Services
9
Temporary Shelters
2
Textile Bag Mills
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire Dealers
6
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
13
Used Car Dealers
21
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
5
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
8
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
34

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Elizabeth, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Would going with a franchise be a good idea for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Bru-Go's Take-N-Bake Pizza Co. and Framing & Art Centre. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Franchises and Kitchen Design Franchises.

Note on Elizabeth Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Elizabeth.

Company Formation in Elizabeth, New Jersey

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

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

Incorporation 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. Just because you are starting a business in New Jersey, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in New Jersey. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Elizabeth, New Jersey, our web page covering Incorporating in New Jersey may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in New Jersey.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new Elizabeth business is not an easy task. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Business Incubators.

For Elizabeth entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of New Jersey Angel Investors and our List of New Jersey Venture Capital Firms.

Letting the World Know You Exist

To rise above the crowd in Elizabeth 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. Seven Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

Given that you are starting a business in Elizabeth, New Jersey, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local New Jersey educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Elizabeth networking organizations.

Never Give Up

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

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 Elizabeth and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth, New Jersey

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

More Startup Articles for New Jersey Cities

Starting a Business in Egg Harbor Township
Starting a Business in Elmer

Browse All Business Startup Guides for New Jersey
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