Maine Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Bridgton, Maine

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

Bridgton, Maine Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
381
5-9 Employees
129
10-19 Employees
57
20-49 Employees
36
50-99 Employees
6
100-249 Employees
3
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Bridgton Businesses
615

As a new Bridgton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bridgton 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
Beauty Salons
2
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
1
Business Associations
1
Car Washes
2
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
6
Facilities Support Services
1
Floor Covering Stores
1
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
8
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Hardware Stores
1
Heating Oil Dealers
2
Home Health Care Services
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
4
Janitorial Services
3
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
8
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Lawyers
2
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
2
Political Organizations
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Savings Institutions
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Skiing Facilities
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Bridgton, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Before Buying a Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include U.S. Lawns, Inc. and El Pollo Loco, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Training and Education Franchises and Cell Phone Franchises.

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

What About Buying an Existing Bridgton Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Maine. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Bridgton.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Picking a Company Name

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.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Bridgton, it's critical that you ensure that no Maine company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, 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 Business Plan Software. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Maine.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in Bridgton, Maine, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby Maine universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Bridgton networking organizations.

Next Steps

As an entrepreneur in Bridgton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Bridgton and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Bridgton 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 Bridgton, Maine

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

  • Resources for Bridgton, Maine Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Bridgton 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

Starting a Business in Boothbay Harbor
Starting a Business in Brunswick

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

 

 

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