Massachusetts Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Palmer, Massachusetts

Thinking about starting a business in Palmer, Massachusetts? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Palmer.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Farm Equipment Tires Business guide or our Starting an Optical Laboratories Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

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

Palmer, Massachusetts Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4260
5-9 Employees
1650
10-19 Employees
1260
20-49 Employees
630
50-99 Employees
330
100-249 Employees
120
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
0
All Palmer Businesses
8280

As a new Palmer entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Palmer 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
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
2
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Beauty Salons
6
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Books Printing
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Caterers
1
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Claims Adjusting
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Convenience Stores
2
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
5
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
9
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Janitorial Services
2
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Logging
1
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
4
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
8
Offices of Optometrists
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Quick Printing
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Record Production
1
Residential Remodelers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Savings Institutions
3
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
1
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Television Broadcasting
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is Buying an Existing Palmer Business a Good Strategy?

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 Palmer.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.

Letting the World Know You Exist

Whether your goal is to attract Palmer customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Yellow Pages Advertising Advice is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just one 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 Palmer or are selling to customers throughout Massachusetts, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Hiring Good Sales People 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 Palmer. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Palmer and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Palmer, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Palmer, Massachusetts

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

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