Contemplating starting a business in Agoura Hills, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Agoura Hills.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
An entrepreneurial life is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Agoura Hills. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Agoura Hills, California Demographic Information
Agoura Hills has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Agoura Hills demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Agoura Hills.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2337 |
| 5-9 Employees |
537 |
| 10-19 Employees |
369 |
| 20-49 Employees |
240 |
| 50-99 Employees |
108 |
| 100-249 Employees |
39 |
| 250-499 Employees |
15 |
| 500-999 Employees |
12 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Agoura Hills Businesses |
3657 |
As a new Agoura Hills entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Agoura Hills 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.
| Business Type |
# of
Businesses |
| Advertising Agencies |
5 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
5 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
9 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
4 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
11 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
1 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
2 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
16 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
12 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
21 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
9 |
| Engineering Services |
14 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
4 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
2 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
5 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
7 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
7 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
2 |
| Food Service Contractors |
5 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
33 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
6 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
9 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
43 |
| Interior Design Services |
5 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
6 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
4 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
3 |
| Landscaping Services |
5 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
22 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
13 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
2 |
| Media Representatives |
2 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
11 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
20 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Music Publishers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
5 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
4 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
11 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
5 |
| Offices of Dentists |
19 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
29 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
4 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
3 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
4 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
13 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
15 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
2 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
4 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
4 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
9 |
| Software Publishers |
6 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
5 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
3 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
3 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
3 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
6 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
7 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
17 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
2 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
Naming the Company
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Agoura Hills, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Make Sure You Have a Business Plan
Creating a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan
Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To rise above the crowd in Agoura Hills and build your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Creating a Press Kit is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
As an entrepreneur who lives in Agoura Hills, California, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Agoura Hills entrepreneurs.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Agoura Hills, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Agoura Hills businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Agoura Hills, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Agoura Hills, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Agoura Hills.
- Resources for Agoura Hills, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Agoura Hills entrepreneurs.
- California Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in California.
- Fresno, California Small Business Development Center - The UC Merced SBDC Regional Network assists Central California entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling, training and business information.
- Los Angeles, California Small Business Development Center - The Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network (LA SBDC Network) is part of the national, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) effort to provide free one-on-one customized consulting services and low-cost training workshops to growing businesses and start-up businesses.
- Sacramento, California Small Business Development Center - As Northern California continues to grow demographically and economically, the Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (NECSBDC) at CSU, Chico is committed to helping communities prepare and plan for future growth.
- San Diego, California Small Business Development Center - The Small Business Development & International Trade Center (SBDITC) at Southwestern College is part of the California SBDC San Diego and Imperial Regional Network. The SBDITC provides no-cost business assistance to start-up & existing businesses.
- San Francisco, California Small Business Development Center - The Northern California Network of Small Business Development Centers helps individuals start, manage and grow their businesses.
- Santa Ana, California Small Business Development Center - The Tri-County Lead Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in the Santa Ana District provides oversight and support for SBDCs located in the Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The Santa Ana SBDC Network is a leader in providing consulting, training, and technical assistance to the small business community.
- Agoura Hills, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Agoura Hills, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Agoura Hills area.
More Startup Articles for California Cities
Starting a Business in Acton
Starting a Business in Alameda
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for California
