Start a New Business in Maryland

The State of Maryland Business Express helps you register, file and launch your business; run your business and prepare for success; and find new funding, locations, and customers.

You can also become a Certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). MBE firms are able to distinguish themselves from their competitors because while any business may perform on a State contract, only MBE-certified firms can fulfill minority participation goals.

Once a MBE is certified, they are encouraged to explore contracting opportunities for state, county, and local government entities.

The Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs offers resources, including training programs, to help small, minority, and women-owned businesses navigate state procurement.

Maryland Business Express website

The Maryland SBA is supported by a district office in Baltimore as well as an additional district office in Washington, DC. They provide services including funding programs, counseling, federal contracting, certifications, and disaster recovery. They can also connect you to partner organizations, lenders, and other community groups that help small businesses succeed.

The Baltimore office serves Baltimore City and all Maryland counties, except for Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

The Washington Metropolitan Area office serves the District of Columbia; Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland; and Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties and cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church in Virginia.

Examples of educational programs and events include a Cyber Summit, How to Do Business with the US Department of Treasury, and Understanding Business Basics for Financial Statements.

Main Baltimore office:
100 South Charles Street
Suite 1201
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410-962-6195

Maryland Small Business Administration SBA website

Main Washington, DC office:
409 3rd Street South West
Floor 2
Washington, DC 20416
Phone: 202-205-8800

Washington DC Metro Area SBA website

Women Business Owners of Montgomery County is a driving force in the growth, empowerment, and success of women entrepreneurs by providing education, networking, and support to help them reach their goals and elevate their businesses.

Whether it is through webinars or social events, members have immediate access to other female business owners to support their entrepreneurial journey.

PO Box 1281
Rockville, Maryland 20849

Women Business Owners of Montgomery County WBO website

The Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC) helps female entrepreneurs start, sustain, and grow their businesses with confidence by conducting business-related training and workshops, offering one-on-one business counseling, facilitating peer group support, and providing access to capital.

The Rockville location serves Montgomery county.

The Bowie location serves Prince George’s county.

The Frederick location serves Frederick county.

Montgomery county:
51 Monroe Street
PE-20
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 301-315-8091

Maryland Women’s Business Center website

Prince George’s county:
Bowie Business Innovation Center (BIC)
Bowie State University
14001 Jericho Park Road, A119
Bowie, Maryland 20715
Phone: 301-315-8091

Frederick county:
Office Of Economic Development
118 North Market Street
Third Floor
Frederick, Maryland 21701
Phone: 301-315-8091

The Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free individualized consulting for start-ups to established businesses. They also offer comprehensive training programs, for those just thinking about starting a business to established executives, with most classes available at low to no cost.

The Maryland SBDC Network provides Maryland small business owners with access to trusted business advisor volunteers who have experience in starting and growing businesses. They offer expertise and keen insights essential to helping you manage your concerns today, and design solid, long-range plans to secure your vision for the future.

Lead Center:
University of Maryland
Small Business Development Center
7761 Diamondback Drive
College Park, Maryland 20742
Phone: 410-706-5463

Maryland Small Business Development Center website

Corridor Region serving Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties.
Phone: 301-403-8300

Eastern Region serving Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.
Phone: 410-548-4419

Northern Region serving Frederick, Carroll, Harford and Cecil counties.
Phone: 410-386-8390

Southern Region: serving Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties.
Phone: 301-934-7583

Western Region serving Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties.
Phone: 888-237-9007

Baltimore Region serving Baltimore City and Baltimore county.
Phone: 240-342-9410

The Bowie Business Innovation Center (Bowie BIC) is a business accelerator and expert network serving minority-owned businesses in Prince George’s County and the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area. Bowie BIC accelerators educate businesses on becoming bankable, equip businesses to pursue government contracts, and elevate business performance in all areas during rapid growth and expansion. Examples include:

Center of Excellence: A place where HBCUs and 8(a) firms can collaborate to pursue federal procurement opportunities that advance efforts in research and development, entrepreneurship, and workforce development.

8(a) Accelerator: Combines practical business training in a small group setting with access to mentors and structured networking activities to help federal government contractors in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) business development program learn how to win more federal government contracts and generate more revenue for their companies.

Capital Accelerator: Prepares businesses to access capital and develops a roadmap to “bankability”. The Capital Accelerator includes training and one-one-one technical assistance to help businesses improve their financial capacity.

Innovate BOWIE!: Celebrates the growing and dynamic City of Bowie entrepreneurial ecosystem, highlighting emerging technologies and market trends that can inspire existing and emerging entrepreneurs.

Bowie State University
Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community
14000 Jericho Park Road, A-131
Bowie, Maryland 20715
Phone: 301-383-1550

Bowie Business Innovation Center at Bowie State University website

The Maryland Innovation Center (MIC) is focused on one-on-one support and guidance, resources that bring true value, and a community of people who champion each other's success.

The Center’s exclusive network of entrepreneurs, business professionals, investors, and teachers have decades of experience across a wide variety of industries to give you targeted insights on your are of focus.

Whether you’re developing your product or customer base, seeking capital or the guidance to scale, MIC helps you create value, communicate your unique edge, and chart a course for long-term achievement.

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, Maryland 21046
Phone: 410-313-6550

Maryland Innovation Center website

SCORE Maryland locations provide a wide range of services to established and budding business owners alike, including:

Free Mentoring: Entrepreneurs can access free, confidential business mentoring in person or remotely via email, phone and video. SCORE mentors are experts in entrepreneurship and related fields who meet with their small business clients on an ongoing basis to provide continued advice and support.

Webinars and Courses on Demand: SCORE regularly offers free online events on topics ranging from startup strategies to marketing and finance. Attendees can watch webinars live or view recordings online on their own time.

Library of Online Resources: SCORE’s extensive collection of guides, templates, checklists, blogs, videos, infographics, and more.

Local Webinars and Workshops: SCORE chapters hold free or low-cost in-person or online workshops and roundtable discussions covering various topics.

SCORE Southern Maryland
1521 Ritchie Highway
Suite 206
Arnold, Maryland 21012
Phone: 410-266-9553

SCORE Maryland website

SCORE Southern Maryland serves counties on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay.

SCORE Mid-Maryland serves Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties.

SCORE Washington DC serves DC, Maryland (Prince Georges and Montgomery counties) and Northern Virginia.

SCORE Greater Baltimore serves Baltimore City, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties.

SCORE Delaware serves New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties, and the Delmarva Peninsula of Maryland.

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps small businesses get the funding they need. Funding resources include:

• Loans: Start or expand your business with loans guaranteed by the SBA.

• Investment capital: Find an investor for your business. Investors make both debt and equity investments.

• Disaster assistance: Get help after a disaster with low-interest disaster loans.

• Surety bonds: Protect your work and your client with an SBA-guaranteed surety bond.

• Grants: Look for government grants that help businesses do scientific research and development.

United States Small Business Administration Funding Sources website

Maryland Capital Enterprises Women’s Business Center (WBC) is designed to empower women in starting and expanding small businesses on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and across the state. It offers training, consulting, one-on-one mentoring, and micro- and small business loans.

Maryland Capital Enterprises provides funding for small and micro enterprises that wish to start or expand their businesses and is the only micro-enterprise organization in the state of Maryland certified as SBA, USDA, and CDFI Intermediary Lender.

314 Civic Avenue
Salisbury, Maryland 21804
Phone: 410-546-1900

MCE Maryland Capital Enterprises website

Maryland offers a variety of programs to support small, minority, and women-owned businesses. Here are some of those funding programs:

Video Lottery Terminal Fund: Targeted to help business owners in the areas surrounding Maryland’s six casinos.

Maryland Small Business Development Financing Authority (MSBDFA): Offers a variety of financing programs to promote the viability and expansion of economically and socially disadvantaged entrepreneur-owned businesses.

Minority Business Pre-Seed Fund (MBPF): If you have a viable business opportunity involving a technology-based idea, this program will make investments of up to $40,000 towards developing it into a product to be tested with potential users.

The Neighborhood BusinessWorks Loan Program: It provides flexible financing to small businesses and nonprofits that are located in locally designated neighborhood revitalization areas throughout Maryland.

Microenterprise Loan Program: It creates new opportunities for small business development in Maryland by providing entrepreneurs with flexible funding for start-ups and expansions in designated Sustainable Communities and Priority Funding Areas throughout the State.

Maryland Business Express - Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business Funding Programs website

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship educates, empowers, and equips students with the business skills needed to be an entrepreneur and the resources necessary to make their business ideas a reality. It has the growth opportunities and resources available for student entrepreneurs at any venture stage, whether you're trying to come up with an idea or have a business already.

Ladies First is the Dingman Center’s commitment to increase the number of women involved in entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. It features multiple workshops and speaking events throughout the year designed to help aspiring female and non-binary entrepreneurs come up with business ideas to solve problems or social issues they're passionate about.

Van Munching Hall
7699 Mowatt Lane
College Park, Maryland 20742

University of Maryland Smith School of Business website

The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School creates and shares knowledge that shapes business leaders who will grow economies and societies. With locations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Carey Business School offers graduate degree programs for full-time, part-time and online students.

Baltimore location:
100 International Drive
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Washington, D.C. location:
555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School website

The Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management (SBM) offers an array of programs including bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Diverse academic offerings include ten undergraduate programs, six master's options, and six specialized Ph.D. focus areas. This breadth caters to students' varied aspirations and aligns with the dynamic business landscape.

Partnerships with top businesses offer unique opportunities, from internships and co-op programs to consulting projects and immersive workshops. These experiences empower students, whether they pursue corporate roles, entrepreneurship, or further studies.

The Morgan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center is a resource for disadvantaged people of color and women who want to become more effective innovators and entrepreneurs. Through research, degrees (e.g, majors, minors, concentrations; BS, MS, PhD), courses, programs, events, conferences, and resources this Center offers a path to increase your odds of success in your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Graves School of Business and Management
4200 Hillen Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Phone: 443-885-3160

Morgan State University Graves School of Business and Management website

The Baltimore Business Journal is the leading source for business news, data and networking for the Greater Baltimore region - all the information, insights, and connections you need to succeed in business.

36 South Charles Street
Suite 2500
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410-576-1161

Baltimore Business Journal website

A business-to-business newspaper in Maryland covering Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and the BWI business corridor, The Business Monthly keeps the community informed on the latest business, government, and economic development news as well as the latest innovations in business, banking, finance, real estate development, technology, and the many opportunities available to local companies and those who work for them or purchase from them.

The mission of The Business Monthly is to tell the story of people, products and services in the business community – for profit, non-profit and government – and to celebrate the community as a great place to do business.

6801 Oak Hall Lane
#782
Columbia, Maryland 21045
Phone: 410-740-5077

Business Monthly website