Maryland Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Silver Spring, Maryland

Need help starting a business in Silver Spring, Maryland? We've got the information you need to open a business in Silver Spring.

What Business to Start

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? We recommend that you read How to Evaluate a Business 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 Starting a General Merchandise Wholesale Business guide or our Opening a Wood Beams Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Silver Spring. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Silver Spring. Only by spending some time analyzing Silver Spring demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Silver Spring, Maryland Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
10151
5-9 Employees
3150
10-19 Employees
1947
20-49 Employees
1290
50-99 Employees
444
100-249 Employees
300
250-499 Employees
75
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
9
All Silver Spring Businesses
17390

As a new Silver Spring entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Silver Spring 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
5
Architectural Services
26
Art Dealers
5
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
7
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
9
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Baked Goods Stores
6
Barber Shops
9
Beauty Salons
73
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Book Publishers
9
Book Stores
7
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
9
Business Associations
21
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Car Washes
7
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
11
Cement Manufacturing
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child Day Care Services
64
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
26
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
5
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
13
Computer Systems Design Services
111
Consumer Lending
4
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
41
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
4
Couriers
4
Credit Unions
6
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
66
Dental Laboratories
12
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
6
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
4
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
4
Document Preparation Services
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
9
Electrical Contractors
50
Electronic Shopping
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
28
Emergency and Other Relief Services
6
Employment Placement Agencies
12
Engineering Services
41
Environmental Consulting Services
6
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
9
Facilities Support Services
6
Family Clothing Stores
18
Family Planning Centers
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
12
Fish and Seafood Markets
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
38
Floor Covering Stores
11
Flooring Contractors
22
Florists
12
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
10
Food Service Contractors
13
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
12
Freight Transportation Arrangement
7
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
131
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
General Automotive Repair
49
General Freight Trucking, Local
7
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
3
General Warehousing and Storage
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
15
Glass and Glazing Contractors
4
Grantmaking Foundations
12
Graphic Design Services
38
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
5
Hardware Stores
4
HMO Medical Centers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
4
Home Health Care Services
20
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
12
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
7
Hunting and Trapping
1
Industrial Design Services
3
Industrial Launderers
1
Inland Water Freight Transportation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
72
Interior Design Services
6
International Trade Financing
4
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
4
Investigation Services
5
Investment Advice
6
Janitorial Services
92
Jewelry Stores
29
Junior Colleges
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Landscape Architectural Services
9
Language Schools
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
181
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
7
Locksmiths
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
5
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
32
Meat Markets
4
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
2
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mobile Food Services
1
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
32
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
20
Motor Vehicle Towing
10
Museums
3
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
5
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Nail Salons
19
New Car Dealers
18
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Syndicates
1
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
15
Nursing Care Facilities
16
Office Administrative Services
25
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
9
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
89
Offices of Chiropractors
18
Offices of Dentists
169
Offices of Lawyers
130
Offices of Optometrists
9
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
14
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
14
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
5
Parking Lots and Garages
16
Passenger Car Rental
4
Payroll Services
10
Periodical Publishers
10
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
24
Political Organizations
5
Port and Harbor Operations
1
Portfolio Management
7
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
16
Quick Printing
5
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
8
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
31
Real Estate Investment Trusts
7
Residential Property Managers
66
Retail Bakeries
7
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
12
Sales Financing
1
Satellite Telecommunications
2
Savings Institutions
17
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Security Guards and Patrol Services
15
Shoe Stores
32
Siding Contractors
10
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
29
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
3
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Special Needs Transportation
2
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
20
Tax Preparation Services
26
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
26
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
20
Tour Operators
3
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
7
Travel Agencies
19
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
10
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
16
Video Tape and Disc Rental
15
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
6
Web Search Portals
1
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
32
Women's Clothing Stores
21
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Silver Spring, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Protecting Your Franchise Territory. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include NaturaLawn of America and Protocol Personal Products Convenience Centers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Wine Franchises and Framing Store Franchises.

Note on Silver Spring Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Silver Spring, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Raising Money for Your Startup

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Silver Spring business is not an easy task. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as How Equity Dilution Works.

For Silver Spring entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of Maryland Angel Investors and our List of Maryland Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

To grow your Silver Spring business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Radio Ads discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Bring in Revenues

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Silver Spring business to do well.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Sales Training is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Silver Spring 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Silver Spring and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Silver Spring, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Silver Spring, Maryland

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

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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