Maine Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Yarmouth, Maine

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most new businesses do not succeed, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Yarmouth. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • You should read The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Yarmouth, Maine Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
663
5-9 Employees
198
10-19 Employees
138
20-49 Employees
54
50-99 Employees
27
100-249 Employees
12
250-499 Employees
0
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Yarmouth Businesses
1092

As a new Yarmouth entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Yarmouth 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
2
Architectural Services
5
Beauty Salons
6
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Boat Building
2
Boat Dealers
3
Book Publishers
4
Business Associations
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Photography
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Engineering Services
8
Environmental Consulting Services
4
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
3
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Full-Service Restaurants
9
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
General Automotive Repair
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
2
Home Health Care Services
1
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
9
Investment Advice
2
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
5
Mail-Order Houses
3
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
8
Offices of Lawyers
4
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Roofing Contractors
2
Savings Institutions
1
Shoe Stores
2
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
2
Software Publishers
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Yarmouth, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Cartridge Depot and Jet-Black. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bagel Franchises and eBay Franchises.

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

Company Formation in Yarmouth, Maine

It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

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.

Incorporating 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 Maine, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Maine. As it turns out, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. 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. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Registered Agents. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Yarmouth, Maine, our web page covering Incorporating in Maine may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Maine.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Raising money to fund your new Yarmouth business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. 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 Choosing VC Firms.

For Yarmouth entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Maine Angel Investors and our List of Maine Venture Capital Firms.

Bring in Revenues

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

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Yarmouth, Maine, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Maine universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Yarmouth entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Next Steps

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

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Yarmouth and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Yarmouth, Maine

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

  • Resources for Yarmouth, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Yarmouth entrepreneurs.
  • Maine Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Maine.
  • Maine Small Business Development Center - Maine Small Business Development Centers and its technology-focused group, the Maine Small Business & Technology Development Centers, provide comprehensive business management assistance, training, resource and information services to Maine's entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Maine

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