Best Businesses to Start in Maine

What is the best business to start in Maine? If you’ve asked yourself this question, you’ve come to the right place for answers. Maine can be a great place to start a new business, and you don’t have to be a business student to do it. The state’s location, natural resources, and multiple business incentives make it a good home for many small and large businesses alike.

If you aspire to be an entrepreneur and you want to know the best business to start in Maine, we can help you out. We’re here to help you brainstorm the most profitable business ideas in Maine and get started on your new venture. Our many Maine business startup resources and services can help you get on your way to business ownership swiftly. 

The Most Profitable Small Business Ideas in Maine

Maine’s economy, infrastructure, and natural resources can support a lot of different new businesses. This is good news if you’re an aspiring business owner because you have many opportunities for forming a lucrative business. The following seven ideas can be good businesses to start in Maine. 

Idea #1: A Small Farming Business

Maine’s rich soil yields a lot of world-renowned produce, especially blueberries and potatoes. If you have a passion and skill for growing quality fruits and vegetables, a small farming business could be the best business in Maine to start. You might even be able to start your business by joining a farming cooperative. 

Idea #2: Tourist Activities

Tourism is Maine’s largest industry. Maine’s tourism brings in a lot of revenue, and you can have a piece of the action by starting a business that sells tourist activities. There are many ways to participate in the tourism economy. You could host photo tours, allow patrons to pick seasonal fruits on your farm, or rent out fun vacation equipment such as beach toys, snow sleds, and swim gear. 

Idea #3: Food Services

Maine’s food scene is notable and providing food to locals and tourists is a business idea that rarely goes out of style. If you don’t want to deal with the cost and stress often associated with restaurant ownership, you can start a food truck or sell certain approved homemade foods to the public. 

Idea #4: Short-Term Lodging/Rental Property Business

Whether they’re here for business or fun, many people who travel to Maine need a place to stay. You can give visitors a good dose of Maine hospitality by running a bed and breakfast or providing short-term rentals of your real estate. When you combine tourists, business travelers, and locals looking for a change of scenery, you could have a strong group of patrons for your short-term lodging business. 

Idea #5: Arborist Services

Maine has a lot of trees. In fact, the Maine International Trade Center recently reported that the state is 89% forested. While government agencies might take care of tree health and safety in public areas, there are plenty of private property owners who likely need an independent arborist to make sure their trees are in a good and safe condition. An arborist service can be a successful business idea. If you don’t have one, you can obtain an arborist license by taking the state arborist exam and purchasing insurance. Once you have those credentials in place, you could have a steady stream of business and income as an arborist. 

Idea #6: Commercial Fishing

You probably already know that Maine’s seafood is famous. You can take advantage of the booming seafood market by running your own commercial fishing business. Maine lobsters, crabs, and other delicacies from the state’s waters can bring in high revenues for you. 

Idea #7: Beverage Production

There are many opportunities in the Maine beverage industry. If you have a good recipe for an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage, you could have a thriving business on your hands. 

Why These Are the Best Small Businesses to Start in Maine

One of these ideas could be the best business to start in Maine because they:

• Are often in high demand
• Can utilize the state’s widely available natural resources
• Can be easy to maintain

Any one of the listed businesses could bring in a steady stream of income for you and career opportunities for your community. However, one of the biggest deciding factors when settling on a business idea is what your passions and strengths are. 

Best Cities in Maine for Starting a Business

You may also wonder about the best place to start a business in Maine. Where you locate your business is often an important part of your business’s success. The best place to start a business in Maine can be: 

• South Portland
• Ellsworth
• Lewiston

For reasons such as accessibility, business resources, natural resources, fast growth, and a strong sense of community, these places can be great locations for starting a new enterprise. 

Form a Business with Us

Building and growing a new company can be exhilarating, affirming, and exhausting. We imagine you want to spend as little of your precious energy as possible on mundane tasks such as fulfilling your business administration obligations. That’s where we come in. We can file a lot of your important paperwork for you and help you get set up in minutes. We can also help you easily keep your business legally compliant with our Worry-Free Compliance Service. Our services can provide the support you need so you can focus on building your own business empire!

We can help

If you’ve figured out the best small business to start in Maine, we can help you take the next steps for opening your own enterprise. Many business owners choose a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation structure to form their businesses. We can help you form these business structures with our Maine LLC and Maine Corporation formation services. If you’re still unsure about what business structure you want to use, you can head over to our Compare All Business Structures information page. 

Now that you know we can help with your business goals from start to finish, let’s briefly review some of the best types of businesses to start in Maine.