Maryland Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Columbia, Maryland
Need help starting a business in Columbia, Maryland? We've got the information you need to open a business in Columbia.
Columbia, Maryland Demographic Information
Columbia has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Columbia demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Columbia.
Businesses
As a new Columbia entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Columbia 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.
Businesses
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Columbia and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchise Marketing Support. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include EncouraGym and Club Z In-Home Tutoring. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Asian Restaurant Franchises and Environmental Testing Franchises.
Note on Columbia Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Columbia.
Naming the Company
A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Business.
On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Columbia, it's very important that you make sure no other Maryland company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Columbia, Maryland
A critical step is ensuring 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.
The entity you form can be 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. If you are starting a business in Maryland, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Maryland. In fact, you are allowed to 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 are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Registered Agents. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Columbia, Maryland, our information on Incorporating in Maryland may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Maryland.
The Role of the Business Plan
Writing a business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Maryland.
Raising Capital for Your Venture
Getting your Columbia business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.
For Columbia 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.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Columbia or are selling to customers throughout Maryland, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Columbia. 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.
We are here to help Columbia businesses to be successful. 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 Columbia, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Columbia.
- Resources for Columbia, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Columbia entrepreneurs.
- Maryland Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Maryland.
- Maryland Small Business Development Center - The Maryland Small Business Development Center Network has six regional offices and more than 20 locations where Maryland entrepreneurs can receive comprehensive, resources and relevant assistance.
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