Contemplating starting a business in Livingston, New Jersey? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Livingston.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Livingston. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
What Type of Business Should You Start?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Free Business Ideas.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Boat Licenses Business guide or our Starting a Fluorescent Lighting Business guide.
Remember that starting a business in Livingston has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Livingston than others. Make sure you fully understand Livingston demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Livingston, New Jersey Demographic Information
Livingston has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Livingston demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Livingston.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
27588 |
| 5-9 Employees |
9031 |
| 10-19 Employees |
6072 |
| 20-49 Employees |
3333 |
| 50-99 Employees |
1254 |
| 100-249 Employees |
825 |
| 250-499 Employees |
429 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
66 |
| All Livingston Businesses |
48598 |
As a new Livingston entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Livingston 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
|
4 |
|
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
|
2 |
|
Architectural Services
|
8 |
|
Art Dealers
|
1 |
|
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
|
1 |
|
Baked Goods Stores
|
1 |
|
Barber Shops
|
1 |
|
Beauty Salons
|
17 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
|
3 |
|
Boat Dealers
|
1 |
|
Book Publishers
|
1 |
|
Book Stores
|
4 |
|
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Building Inspection Services
|
1 |
|
Business Associations
|
2 |
|
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
|
1 |
|
Car Washes
|
2 |
|
Caterers
|
3 |
|
Child and Youth Services
|
1 |
|
Child Day Care Services
|
8 |
|
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
|
7 |
|
Civic and Social Organizations
|
6 |
|
Claims Adjusting
|
4 |
|
Clothing Accessories Stores
|
3 |
|
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
|
2 |
|
Collection Agencies
|
1 |
|
Commercial Bakeries
|
1 |
|
Commercial Lithographic Printing
|
1 |
|
Computer and Software Stores
|
3 |
|
Computer Facilities Management Services
|
1 |
|
Computer Systems Design Services
|
17 |
|
Confectionery and Nut Stores
|
2 |
|
Convenience Stores
|
4 |
|
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
|
1 |
|
Couriers
|
1 |
|
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
|
4 |
|
Curtain and Drapery Mills
|
1 |
|
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
|
1 |
|
Custom Computer Programming Services
|
31 |
|
Dance Companies
|
1 |
|
Dental Laboratories
|
2 |
|
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
|
3 |
|
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
|
1 |
|
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
|
14 |
|
Direct Mail Advertising
|
1 |
|
Display Advertising
|
1 |
|
Educational Support Services
|
1 |
|
Electrical Contractors
|
16 |
|
Elementary and Secondary Schools
|
7 |
|
Employment Placement Agencies
|
1 |
|
Engineering Services
|
12 |
|
Environmental Consulting Services
|
3 |
|
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
|
8 |
|
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
|
1 |
|
Facilities Support Services
|
1 |
|
Family Clothing Stores
|
9 |
|
Family Planning Centers
|
1 |
|
Fine Arts Schools
|
5 |
|
Finish Carpentry Contractors
|
8 |
|
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
|
7 |
|
Floor Covering Stores
|
1 |
|
Flooring Contractors
|
1 |
|
Florists
|
3 |
|
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
|
2 |
|
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Food Service Contractors
|
8 |
|
Framing Contractors
|
1 |
|
Freight Transportation Arrangement
|
1 |
|
Full-Service Restaurants
|
19 |
|
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
|
2 |
|
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
|
Furniture Stores
|
4 |
|
General Automotive Repair
|
3 |
|
General Freight Trucking, Local
|
1 |
|
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
|
1 |
|
General Rental Centers
|
1 |
|
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
|
14 |
|
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
|
1 |
|
Grantmaking Foundations
|
2 |
|
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
|
Hardware Stores
|
3 |
|
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
|
1 |
|
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
|
3 |
|
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
|
3 |
|
Home Health Care Services
|
3 |
|
Homes for the Elderly
|
1 |
|
Household Appliance Stores
|
2 |
|
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
|
23 |
|
Interior Design Services
|
3 |
|
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
|
2 |
|
Investment Advice
|
4 |
|
Janitorial Services
|
4 |
|
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Jewelry Stores
|
10 |
|
Land Subdivision
|
7 |
|
Landscape Architectural Services
|
2 |
|
Landscaping Services
|
35 |
|
Language Schools
|
1 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
|
1 |
|
Limited-Service Restaurants
|
22 |
|
Limousine Service
|
2 |
|
Locksmiths
|
2 |
|
Machine Shops
|
1 |
|
Mail-Order Houses
|
2 |
|
Marketing Consulting Services
|
5 |
|
Masonry Contractors
|
1 |
|
Meat Markets
|
2 |
|
Media Representatives
|
2 |
|
Men's Clothing Stores
|
10 |
|
Metal Stamping
|
2 |
|
Miscellaneous Intermediation
|
3 |
|
Mobile Food Services
|
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
|
1 |
|
Motor Vehicle Towing
|
1 |
|
Musical Groups and Artists
|
3 |
|
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
|
1 |
|
Nail Salons
|
4 |
|
New Car Dealers
|
4 |
|
New Housing Operative Builders
|
1 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers
|
3 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities
|
2 |
|
Office Administrative Services
|
3 |
|
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
|
1 |
|
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
|
2 |
|
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
|
38 |
|
Offices of Chiropractors
|
8 |
|
Offices of Dentists
|
50 |
|
Offices of Lawyers
|
58 |
|
Offices of Optometrists
|
4 |
|
Offices of Other Holding Companies
|
5 |
|
Offices of Podiatrists
|
2 |
|
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
|
4 |
|
Optical Goods Stores
|
9 |
|
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
|
1 |
|
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
|
5 |
|
Passenger Car Leasing
|
2 |
|
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
|
8 |
|
Photography Studios, Portrait
|
6 |
|
Portfolio Management
|
2 |
|
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Professional Organizations
|
4 |
|
Public Relations Agencies
|
3 |
|
Quick Printing
|
1 |
|
Real Estate Credit
|
6 |
|
Residential Property Managers
|
17 |
|
Residential Remodelers
|
16 |
|
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
|
1 |
|
Roofing Contractors
|
2 |
|
Sales Financing
|
8 |
|
Savings Institutions
|
9 |
|
Securities Brokerage
|
8 |
|
Security Guards and Patrol Services
|
2 |
|
Septic Tank and Related Services
|
1 |
|
Shoe Stores
|
16 |
|
Siding Contractors
|
1 |
|
Sign Manufacturing
|
1 |
|
Site Preparation Contractors
|
6 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
|
13 |
|
Software Publishers
|
1 |
|
Solid Waste Collection
|
1 |
|
Sporting Goods Stores
|
4 |
|
Sports and Recreation Instruction
|
4 |
|
Tax Preparation Services
|
2 |
|
Taxi Service
|
1 |
|
Telecommunications Resellers
|
2 |
|
Telephone Answering Services
|
1 |
|
Temporary Help Services
|
8 |
|
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
|
4 |
|
Tire Dealers
|
2 |
|
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
|
4 |
|
Tour Operators
|
1 |
|
Translation and Interpretation Services
|
3 |
|
Travel Agencies
|
6 |
|
Used Merchandise Stores
|
3 |
|
Veterinary Services
|
1 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental
|
1 |
|
Voluntary Health Organizations
|
1 |
|
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
|
1 |
|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
|
14 |
|
Window Treatment Stores
|
2 |
|
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
|
2 |
|
Women's Clothing Stores
|
17 |
Is Buying an Existing Livingston Business a Good Strategy?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in New Jersey. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Livingston.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
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.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Livingston, it's very important that you make sure no other New Jersey company is using the business name you want to use.
Selling Tips
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Livingston or are selling to customers throughout New Jersey, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Livingston. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Livingston and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Livingston 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 Livingston, New Jersey
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Livingston.
