Are you starting a business in Clayton, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when 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 |
| Child Day Care Services |
6 |
| 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 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| 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 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| 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 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
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 |
| Janitorial Services |
2 |
| Jewelry Stores |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
2 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
3 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
3 |
| 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 and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| 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 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| 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 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
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.
- Resources for Clayton, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Clayton 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.
- Clayton, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Clayton, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Clayton area.
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