California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Burbank, California

Thinking about starting a business in Burbank, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Burbank.

Burbank, California Demographic Information

Burbank has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Burbank demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Burbank.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
39426
5-9 Employees
12360
10-19 Employees
9000
20-49 Employees
7146
50-99 Employees
3222
100-249 Employees
2052
250-499 Employees
486
500-999 Employees
216
1000+ Employees
540
All Burbank Businesses
74448

As a new Burbank entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Burbank 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
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
2
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
7
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
4
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
15
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
7
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
4
Cafeterias
5
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
6
Car Washes
5
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Caterers
4
Child Day Care Services
17
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
7
Commercial Flexographic Printing
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
14
Commercial Photography
2
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Facilities Management Services
4
Computer Systems Design Services
16
Confectionery and Nut Stores
4
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
6
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
14
Credit Bureaus
2
Credit Unions
8
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
40
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dental Laboratories
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
3
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
9
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
7
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
5
Electrical Contractors
28
Electronic Shopping
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
15
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
33
Envelope Manufacturing
1
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
14
Facilities Support Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
9
Fine Arts Schools
8
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
53
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Rental Centers
4
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Glass and Glazing Contractors
5
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
26
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
7
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
8
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
9
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
6
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
14
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
62
Interior Design Services
11
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
4
Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Janitorial Services
15
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
4
Jewelry Stores
7
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
4
Landscaping Services
10
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
94
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
8
Logging
1
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
20
Mail-Order Houses
5
Marketing Consulting Services
13
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Meat Processed from Carcasses
2
Media Buying Agencies
7
Media Representatives
6
Medical Laboratories
8
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Heat Treating
2
Metal Stamping
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
5
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
8
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
3
Motion Picture and Video Production
202
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
5
Musical Groups and Artists
10
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Nail Salons
15
New Car Dealers
3
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
News Syndicates
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
10
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
23
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
29
Offices of Chiropractors
20
Offices of Lawyers
36
Offices of Optometrists
12
Offices of Other Holding Companies
8
Offices of Podiatrists
9
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
One-Hour Photofinishing
4
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Outerwear Knitting Mills
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
12
Parking Lots and Garages
30
Passenger Car Rental
19
Payroll Services
34
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
8
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
26
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
8
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Prepress Services
5
Private Mail Centers
4
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
5
Quick Printing
12
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
24
Real Estate Credit
20
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Record Production
4
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Repossession Services
2
Residential Remodelers
34
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
13
Sales Financing
7
Satellite Telecommunications
2
Savings Institutions
10
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
7
Securities Brokerage
8
Security Guards and Patrol Services
10
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
14
Sign Manufacturing
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
33
Software Publishers
8
Sound Recording Studios
23
Special Needs Transportation
2
Spice and Extract Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
8
Sports and Recreation Instruction
6
Tax Preparation Services
17
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
4
Telemarketing Bureaus
6
Telephone Answering Services
3
Television Broadcasting
7
Temporary Help Services
19
Testing Laboratories
6
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
5
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tobacco Stores
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Web Search Portals
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
15
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
3

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Burbank, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to look into purchasing a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchise Marketing Support. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include Oil Butler International and LearningRx. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Vending Franchises and eBay Franchises.

Note on Burbank Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Burbank, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Is Buying an Existing Burbank Business a Good Strategy?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Burbank.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Raising Money for Your Venture

Raising money to fund your new Burbank business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Angel Investors.

For Burbank entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Startup

To grow your Burbank business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Newspaper Advertising Costs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Burbank, California, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Burbank entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

Most new Burbank businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help Burbank businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Burbank, California

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Burbank.

More Business Startup Guides for California

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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