Massachusetts Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Thinking about starting a business in Lawrence, Massachusetts? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lawrence.
Which Business to Choose?
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Evaluating Your 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 How to Start a Music Producers Business guide or our How to Start a Paper Shredding Services Business guide.
Remember that starting a business in Lawrence has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Lawrence than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Lawrence demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Lawrence, Massachusetts Demographic Information
Lawrence has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lawrence demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lawrence.
Businesses
As a new Lawrence entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lawrence 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
Browse the Yellow Pages for Lawrence and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. We have many articles on franchises, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. 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.
Sample franchise opportunities include Sharkey's Cuts for Kids and Cafe Fondue Franchise Systems Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Travel and Leisure Franchises and Bath Remodeling Franchises.
Note on Lawrence Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Lawrence.
Don't Skip the Business Plan
Writing a business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Not having a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Massachusetts.
Getting the Word Out About Your New Company
To rise above the crowd in Lawrence and build your 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. Dealing with Angry Customers 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.
The Art of Selling
Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Lawrence business to do well.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
The Art of Customer Referrals is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Now It's Up To You
Most new Lawrence businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Lawrence businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lawrence 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 Lawrence, Massachusetts
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lawrence.
- Resources for Lawrence, Massachusetts Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lawrence entrepreneurs.
- Massachusetts Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network provides one-to-one free comprehensive and confidential services focusing on, business growth and strategies, financing and loan assistance as well as strategic, marketing and operational analysis.
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