Are you starting a business in Clovis, New Mexico? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Clovis.
Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?
Before you get too far along in the process, assess your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Clovis. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Clovis, New Mexico Demographic Information
Clovis has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Clovis demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Clovis.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2948 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1464 |
| 10-19 Employees |
858 |
| 20-49 Employees |
546 |
| 50-99 Employees |
138 |
| 100-249 Employees |
60 |
| 250-499 Employees |
12 |
| 500-999 Employees |
12 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Clovis Businesses |
6038 |
As a new Clovis entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Clovis 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 |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
2 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
14 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
4 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
6 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
3 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
4 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
3 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
10 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
2 |
| Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine |
1 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Drilling Oil and Gas Wells |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
1 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
5 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
3 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
2 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
21 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
7 |
| General Automotive Repair |
6 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
8 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
3 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
20 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
9 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
5 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
30 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Medical Laboratories |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
4 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
9 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
16 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
22 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
3 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
3 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
2 |
| Residential Property Managers |
3 |
| Residential Remodelers |
11 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
6 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
7 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
3 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
6 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
2 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tortilla Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
12 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
8 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
4 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
3 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
Examine a list of Clovis businesses and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Growth Trends in Franchising. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include Winfree Systems, Inc. and Great Clips, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Healthcare Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.
Note on Clovis Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Clovis.
Is Buying an Existing Clovis Business a Good Strategy?
We've created a helpful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in New Mexico. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Clovis.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Company Formation in Clovis, New Mexico
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.
Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in New Mexico, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in New Mexico. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Getting an EIN. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Clovis, New Mexico, our information on Incorporating in New Mexico may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in New Mexico.
Raising Capital for Your Venture
Getting your Clovis business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.
Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as 504 Loans.
For Clovis entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of New Mexico Angel Investors and our List of New Mexico Venture Capital Firms.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
The best business owners know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Clovis, New Mexico, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local New Mexico educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Clovis networking organizations.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Clovis. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Clovis 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 Clovis, New Mexico
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Clovis.
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