Connecticut Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Meriden, Connecticut

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

Which Business to Choose?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Evaluating Your Idea.

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 Mud Trap Service Business guide or our Starting a Pet Care Services Business guide.

Remember that you are starting a business in Meriden. Some businesses will do better in Meriden than others. Don't forget to review Meriden demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Meriden, Connecticut Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5286
5-9 Employees
2376
10-19 Employees
1629
20-49 Employees
1017
50-99 Employees
351
100-249 Employees
360
250-499 Employees
54
500-999 Employees
36
1000+ Employees
0
All Meriden Businesses
11109

As a new Meriden entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Meriden 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
5
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
2
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
23
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
12
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
3
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
10
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
7
Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
5
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
8
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
15
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
10
Family Planning Centers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
3
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
33
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
7
General Automotive Repair
16
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
2
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
17
Internet Service Providers
1
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
7
Jewelry Stores
12
Landscaping Services
15
Limousine Service
3
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Stamping
4
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
4
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
8
Office Administrative Services
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Lawyers
23
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Optical Goods Stores
6
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
3
Professional Organizations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
12
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
1
Savings Institutions
2
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
2
Shoe Stores
7
Siding Contractors
2
Silverware and Hollowware Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
9
Tax Preparation Services
5
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
2
Temporary Help Services
11
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire Dealers
3
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Women's Clothing Stores
19

What About Buying an Existing Meriden Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Connecticut. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Meriden.

If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

Having a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Connecticut.

Raising Money for Your Startup

Getting your Meriden business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as 504 Loans.

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

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

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

Given that you are starting a business in Meriden, Connecticut, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Connecticut universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Meriden entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

Most new Meriden businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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 Meriden and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Meriden, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Meriden, Connecticut

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

More Business Startup Guides for Connecticut

Starting a Business in Manchester
Starting a Business in Middlefield

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary