Top 5 Business Ideas in Maine

Best Maine Business Ideas

One of the best things about starting a Maine business is being your own boss. Whether you’re looking to build an empire or just earn a little money on the side, there’s a business idea that will allow you to achieve your goals as an entrepreneur.

Top 5 Business Ideas in Maine:

1. Lobster Fishing Business
2. Campground
3. Car Detailing Business
4. Laundromat
5. Driving School

If you have a business idea picked out, check out our simple, step-by-step Form an LLC in Maine guide to get your new small business started.

1. Lobster Fishing Business

Lobster is a much-loved delicacy that many people pay premium prices for. Most of the cold-water lobsters used in recipes are caught by lobster fishing businesses in New England. Since 2012, when a record-setting catch sent lobster prices plummeting, the lobster fishery has recovered and is now booming. The industry has invested heavily in education and marketing, creating new markets both domestically and abroad in China (where lobsters sell for as much as $100 each). Thanks to these efforts, lobster fishing businesses are now seeing near-record catches and prices for lobster are remaining high.

Learn how to start a lobster fishing business.

Find a Web Domain for Your Maine Business

Securing a web domain and creating a quality website is important for the overall success of an online business. You can search for an available domain below:

After you have your perfect business idea and secure a domain for your business, one of the best things you can do for your small business is create a website.

2. Campground

If you love the outdoors and some hard work, you could start a campground business. Whether you have land or are purchasing land, you could start enjoying the great outdoors and working for yourself as soon as you get everything set up. You'll provide a place for people who are passing through on their way to another destination and for those who want to enjoy some time connecting with nature. Campers use all sorts of shelters from tents to fully contained RVs.

Before you start a campground business, you'll need the knowledge and willingness it takes to do many things, including accounting, repairs, road maintenance, plumbing, electrical maintenance, and management. You may be able to farm some of these things out, but it is much more cost-effective to do these things yourself.

Learn how to start a campground business.

3. Car Detailing Business

Unlike a general car wash, a car detailing business provides a thorough cleaning, inside and out, of the vehicle. This includes waxing, polishing, vacuuming, and any extras the client requests.

Learn how to start a car detailing business.

4. Laundromat

Laundromats can be great businesses for people who want to start a business in their spare time, as laundromats do not require a large time commitment from their owners early on. Business owners should ideally be somewhat mechanically inclined, should they need to service the machines, and they should have some basic business skills.

Laundromats have very high startup costs ($100,000 minimum), but they have an average profit margin of 20% to 30%. Businesses can increase their profits by offering additional services or selling laundry-related products. Growth potential is practically unlimited and business owners can decide if they want to expand their business by opening additional laundromats.

Learn how to start a laundromat business.

5. Driving School

In many states, completing a driver’s education program is a requirement for getting a new driver's license or a learner's permit. Every state has different driver’s education requirements. Instead of paying a fine for a traffic infraction, many states offer the alternative of attending traffic school and the courts may also mandate that a person must attend a driver’s education program. Moreover, attending a defensive driving program may also entitle a driver to have lower vehicle insurance premiums.

Learn how to start a driving school business.

Importance of SEO for Businesses

Once you've chosen the best business idea for you, determining a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is essential for small business success. Good SEO allows Google (and your customers) to more easily find your business website and the services you offer.

Here are some of the benefits of SEO for your business:

• Increases traffic to your business website
• Improves user experience for your customers
• Strengthens brand awareness and recognition

You can learn more about the basics of SEO and how to implement a strategy by reading our Beginner's Guide to SEO.

Other Important Services for Small Businesses:

• Use our Business Name Generator for help brainstorming your new venture’s name
• Learn how to form an LLC, one of the best business structures for Maine businesses
• Use our free business plan generator to start planning your Maine business today
• Get your unique logo with our free Logo Maker and start branding your business
• After finding your perfect idea, learn how to start a business