Maryland Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Thinking about starting a business in Gaithersburg, Maryland? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Gaithersburg.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Gaithersburg. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
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.
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 Opening a Barometer Business guide or our Opening a Jewelry Contractors Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Gaithersburg. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Gaithersburg. Make sure you fully understand Gaithersburg demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Gaithersburg, Maryland Demographic Information
Gaithersburg has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Gaithersburg demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Gaithersburg.
Businesses
As a new Gaithersburg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Gaithersburg 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
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Gaithersburg business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising money, such as 504 Loans.
For Gaithersburg entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, we have assembled a List of Maryland Angel Investors and our List of Maryland Venture Capital Firms.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Gaithersburg customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Examples of Marketing Strategies is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Gaithersburg or are selling to customers throughout Maryland, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
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.
Tips on Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Gaithersburg Entrepreneur Interviews
We're compiling a number of interviews with Gaithersburg entrepreneurs. Enjoy!
- Interview with Scot Aubinoe, Founder of One Life One Legacy
- Interview with Ali Allage, Founder of Boost Labs
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Gaithersburg. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Gaithersburg businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Gaithersburg 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 Gaithersburg, Maryland
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Gaithersburg.
- Resources for Gaithersburg, Maryland Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Gaithersburg 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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