California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Clayton, California

Contemplating starting a business in Clayton, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Clayton.

Which Business to Choose?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Behavioral Medicine Psychiatrists & Psychologists Business guide or our How to Start a Snowboards Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Clayton has some implications. If Clayton already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Don't forget to review Clayton demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Clayton, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7562
5-9 Employees
1425
10-19 Employees
1368
20-49 Employees
285
50-99 Employees
114
100-249 Employees
171
250-499 Employees
57
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Clayton Businesses
10982

As a new Clayton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Clayton 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
Ambulance Services
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Collection Agencies
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Electrical Contractors
8
Electronic Shopping
1
Engineering Services
4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
6
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Investment Advice
3
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
2
Language Schools
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
3
Limousine Service
1
Machine Shops
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
1
Nail Salons
1
Office Administrative Services
1
Offices of Dentists
3
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
1
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
1
Real Estate Credit
1
Residential Remodelers
5
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
4
Software Publishers
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Taxi Service
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
5

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Clayton Business?

We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Clayton.

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

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Money for Your Venture

Getting your Clayton business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Attracting Investors.

For Clayton entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Clayton and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. PR Versus Advertising is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Never Give Up

As an entrepreneur in Clayton, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

We are here to help Clayton 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 Clayton, California

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

Starting a Business in Claremont
Starting a Business in Clearlake

Browse All Business Startup Guides for California
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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