Marketing to Drive Profits

Marketing Research and Planning

Completing basic research – like market research – can save time, money and a lot of trouble.  The most successful businesses will:

  • Find people who will be willing to pay for your product or service (there have to be enough of them to make it worth your while) – research market potential using census data and demographic databases
  • Deliver the service or manufacture the product – research production options using business databases
  • Know who you compete with – research competitors using business databases
  • Understand whether your product is unique or proprietary – research patent filings
Planning and Research

The Small Business Administration has launched an online tool that allows small business owners to see how their company compares to the competition.  Research your competitive edge by checking out the SizeUp tool.  Also, don’t forget to search through the Resource Navigator to find local organizations that are here to help you with your marketing challenges.

The following Resource Partners assist with marketing research and planning:

Baltimore City Small Business Resource Center

Baltimore Small Business Resource Center is the City of Baltimore’s One-Stop-Shop for persons seeking to start and grow a business. We provide training, counseling and resources to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Lisa Edwards

Phone: (443) 451-7160
Website

3000 Druid Park Drive
Suite 3000B
Baltimore, MD 21215

Baltimore County Small Business Resource Center

The SBRC is a free service to help you establish, grow and improve your business through one-on-one sessions.

Kimberly Taylor

Phone:
Website

102 W. Pennsylvania Ave. #101
Towson, MD 21204

Baltimore Main Street

Baltimore Main Streets(BMS) is a program established by Baltimore City, in 2000, to provide customized support and technical assistance for neighborhood commercial corridors through designated neighborhood-based organizations.

charlyn Nator

Phone: (410) 396-3818
Website

3000 Druid Park Drive
Suite 3000B
Baltimore, MD 21215

Belair-Edison Main Street

The Baltimore Main Streets program is an approach to neighborhood revitalization by providing customized support and technical assistance to the City’s commercial corridors.

Denitra Braham

Phone: (410) 485-8422
Website

3545 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21213

CCBC

What's the next step? It's a question asked by people who have an idea, are ready to launch a business, or have a business they want to grow. We offer a variety of classes to answer your questions.

Moire Riley

Phone: (443) 840-1804
Website

7201 Rossville Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21237

Enoch Pratt Free Library

The Enoch Pratt Free Library is the free public library system of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Our mission is "to provide equal access to information and services that empower, enrich, and enhance the quality of life for all."

Katy Troeschel

Phone: (410) 396-5317
Website

400 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

ETC (Emerging Technology Centers)

For nearly two decades, the ETC has provided a nurturing, innovative, and transformative experience for technology-focused entrepreneurs who are passionate about their businesses, motivated to succeed and committed to making a difference. Discover what the ETC can offer you — and what you can offer the ETC.

Amanda Gosling

Phone: (443) 451-7000 Ext: 501
Website

101 N Haven St
Suite 301
Baltimore, MD 21224

Federal Hill Main Street

The Baltimore Main Streets program is a neighborhood revitalization program that provides customized support and technical assistance to the City’s commercial corridors.

Cathy Rosenbaum

Phone: (443) 904-4861
Website

42 E. Cross St.
,

Fells Point Main Street

The Baltimore Main Streets program is an approach to neighborhood revitalization by providing customized support and technical assistance to the City’s commercial corridors.

Keith Mainhart

Phone: (410) 675-8900
Website

1632 Aliceanna St.
Baltimore, MD 21231

Good Business Works

Good Business Works is a collaboration of Baltimore leaders who believe good jobs can be good for business. We promote businesses creating great places to work in our communities and provide tailored support for your human resources challenges & goals

Allie Busching

Phone: (410) 929-6176
Website

3501 Brehms Ln
Baltimore, MD 21213

Greater Baltimore Urban League

The Greater Baltimore Urban League – Since 1924, we have been helping disadvantaged Marylanders gain access to equal opportunity in employment, education, health care, housing and the civic arena. We encourage you to join the GBUL and take advantage of the many opportunities available to improve the quality of life for you and your community.

The Greater Baltimore Urban League, Inc. (GBUL) is one of the local affiliates of the National Urban League– a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-ethnic, social service organization. Through direct service delivery, advocacy, referrals, community capacity building, information dissemination and technical assistance, the League accomplishes its mission to improve social and economic conditions and opportunities for African-Americans and other people who face barriers to full participation in American society.

Nicole Cameron

Phone: (667) 217-4456 Ext: 104
Website

512 Orchard Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Harbor Launch

Harbor Launch at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) is a startup incubator and community for science and science support companies. Focus: Life Science / Biotechnology Startups. Wet labs, office space, coworking.

Betsy O'Neill Collie

Phone: (410) 746-0029
Website

701 E. Pratt St.
Baltimore, MD 21202

Highlandtown Main Street

Highlandtown’s Main Street, which runs along Eastern Avenue from Ellwood Avenue to Haven Street, is a thriving 10 block stretch of shops, restaurants, grocers and art spaces with merchants and clientele from all over the globe.

HMS follows the model from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and helps merchants create business plans, find available properties and understand market demographic information. We also manage a facade grant program to help businesses make improvements that attract more customers to their shops. We partner with local businesses, residents and organizations to host some of the most popular events in Baltimore.

Amanda Smit-Peters

Phone: (410) 342-3234 Ext: 26
Website

3323 Eastern Avenue
Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21224

iFundWomen

iFundWomen is a crowdfunding ecosystem for women-led startups and small businesses. Our mission is simple: to drive cash funding into the hands of early stage female entrepreneurs so they can start and grow their businesses.

Karen Cahn

Phone:
Website

575 5th Ave.,
New York, NY 10001

Incubator at The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology

An incubator for early-stage biotech, marine, environment, and human health companies. Part of the USM Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, which is a partnership of UMB, UMBC and UMCES.

Betsy O'Neill Collie

Phone: (410) 385-6357
Website

701 E. Pratt St.
Baltimore, MD 21202

Innovation Works

The mission of Innovation Works (IW) is to reduce Baltimore’s neighborhood and racial wealth divide by teaching and accompanying members of disinvested communities to build and own successful social enterprises that create sustainable neighborhood economies and result in better family living, more resilient communities, and a safer, more vibrant city.

Jay Nwachu

Phone:
Website

1400 Greenmount Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21202

Latino Economic Development Center

LEDC is a nonprofit organization that equips entrepreneurs and small business owners with capital and technical assistance / LEDC es una organización sin ánimo de lucro que apoya emprendedores y empresarios con asistencia técnica y microcrédito.

Molly Terry

Phone:
Website

10 East North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21201

Lexington Business Center

Lexington Business Center provides:

Shared Office Space and Conference Room.
Free WiFi.
Free Black and White printing.
Mail/package receipt and storage.
Small Conference room for use by members.
Business Center also provide Business Coaching at a discount to members.

David Wren

Phone: (443) 579-5760
Website

1 E Chase St
Suite #210
Baltimore, MD 21202

Made In Baltimore

Made In Baltimore aims to spur re-investment in Baltimore City by growing the market for locally-produced goods. We do this by supporting local maker and manufacturers through our local-brand certification program, promotion and marketing events, and business development services.

Andrew Cook

Phone:
Website

36 S. Charles Street
Suite 2100
Baltimore, MD 21201

Maryland Department of Commerce

The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment, creates jobs, attracts new businesses, encourages expansion and retains existing companies. It also provides financial assistance to Maryland companies.

Stacey Harvey Reid

Phone: (410) 767-6287
Website

401 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Maryland Small Business Development Center - University of Maryland

The Maryland Small Business Development Center Network is dedicated to providing one-stop assistance to the area's business community

Jennifer Funn

Phone: (443) 540-3865
Website

620 West Lexington St
Baltimore, MD 21201

Mayor's Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development

MWBD serves as the City of Baltimore’s advocate for small, local, minority and women-owned companies including prime contractors, subcontractors, and joint venture partners.

Lisa Edwards

Phone: (410) 396-3818
Website

3000 Druid Park Drive
Suite 3000B
Baltimore, MD 21215

MBDA Baltimore Business Center

The MBDA Business Center is a Baltimore sponsored federally funded program that assists minority businesses with gaining access to capital, contracts, markets and global development.

Scott Phillips

Phone: (443) 451-7103
Website

1101 East 33rd Street, Suite 308
Baltimore, MD 21218

MD Washington Minority Companies Association

In 2002, Md. Washington Minority Companies Association, Inc. (MWMCA) originated to assist minority and women-owned companies.

Wayne Frazier

Phone: (443) 759-8580
Website

3229 Powhatan Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21216

Pigtown Main Street

We provide assistance to business owners and commercial property owners along the 700-1300 blocks of Washington Blvd in Historic Pigtown.

Kim Lane

Phone: (443) 908-7038
Website

763 Washington Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21230

SCORE-Greater Baltimore

Non Profit aligned with SBA to foster vibrant small Business Communities through mentoring and education.

Baltimore SCORE

Phone: (443) 451-7160
Website

10 South Howard St
Baltimore, MD 21202

Towson University Incubator

TU Incubator is Towson University’s business incubator for seed and early stage companies. Primary goals are to support regional entrepreneurs and induce mission-driven innovation in industries such as education (edtech) and healthcare.

David Cross

Phone: (410) 704-3079
Website

7400 York Road, 3rd Floor
Towson, MD 21204

University of Baltimore Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The center directs assistance and support to students interested in building or growing an enterprise.

Henry Mortimer

Phone: (410) 837-5975
Website

11 W. Mt. Royal Ave
Baltimore, MD 21201

US Commercial Service

The U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service is dedicated to helping U.S. companies; especially small and medium-sized enterprises compete and win in the global marketplace.

Aisha Jones

Phone: (410) 962-3097
Website

300 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21239

Waverly Main Street

The Baltimore Main Streets program is an approach to neighborhood revitalization by providing customized support and technical assistance to the City’s commercial corridors.

Diana Emerson

Phone: (410) 889-8100
Website

3302B Greenmount Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21218

Will Holmes Consulting WHC

Will Holmes Consulting is an award-winning, MBE DBE SBE certified, business management and technology consulting firm serving government agencies, financial institutions, universities and thousands of growing companies across the globe.

Will Holmes

Phone: (410) 914-7730
Website

555 President St
Baltimore, MD 21202