Opening a Business in Compton, California

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

Compton, California Demographic Information

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

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

As a new Compton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Compton 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.

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Compton, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How Franchises Work. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Teriyaki Stix and Executive Business Maintenance Franchise. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Car Wash Franchises and Healthy Alternative Foods Franchises.

Note on Compton Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Compton.

Picking a Company Name

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Compton, it's very important that you make sure no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Compton business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Compton 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.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Compton or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Why Salespeople Fail is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Compton. 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 Compton businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Compton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Compton, California

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

• Resources for Compton, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Compton 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.
• Compton, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Compton, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Compton area.