California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in El Cajon, California

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

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good Business Ideas.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Paternity Testing Business guide or our Opening a Pictures & Prints Wholesale & Manufacturers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that El Cajon is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in El Cajon than others. Don't forget to review El Cajon demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

El Cajon, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
6127
5-9 Employees
2121
10-19 Employees
1461
20-49 Employees
1062
50-99 Employees
285
100-249 Employees
174
250-499 Employees
33
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
3
All El Cajon Businesses
11269

As a new El Cajon entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in El Cajon 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
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Amusement Arcades
3
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
5
Art Dealers
3
Automobile Driving Schools
3
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
4
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
30
Automotive Transmission Repair
12
Baked Goods Stores
2
Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing
1
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
32
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
6
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
6
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cafeterias
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
14
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Casinos (except Casino Hotels)
1
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
7
Civic and Social Organizations
12
Clay Refractory Manufacturing
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
6
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Computer Systems Design Services
12
Computer Training
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
18
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
11
Curtain and Drapery Mills
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
16
Custom Roll Forming
2
Dental Laboratories
4
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
6
Display Advertising
2
Drafting Services
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
18
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
23
Educational Support Services
4
Electrical Contractors
73
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
8
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Engineering Services
27
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
12
Family Clothing Stores
14
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
26
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Flight Training
3
Floor Covering Stores
6
Flooring Contractors
20
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
8
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
15
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
90
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
General Automotive Repair
63
General Freight Trucking, Local
16
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
4
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
16
Glass and Glazing Contractors
4
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
8
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
5
Hardware Stores
5
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
2
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
6
Homes for the Elderly
16
Household Appliance Stores
9
Industrial Design Services
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
49
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
5
Investment Advice
6
Janitorial Services
23
Jewelry Stores
23
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
46
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
23
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
124
Limousine Service
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
15
Mail-Order Houses
3
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
7
Masonry Contractors
23
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
11
Motion Picture and Video Production
3
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
7
Museums
2
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
2
Nail Salons
11
Natural Gas Distribution
3
New Car Dealers
15
New Housing Operative Builders
4
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonferrous Forging
1
Nursing Care Facilities
9
Office Administrative Services
14
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
21
Offices of Chiropractors
24
Offices of Dentists
58
Offices of Optometrists
11
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
9
Optical Goods Stores
8
Packaging and Labeling Services
3
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
36
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
2
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
18
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
3
Quick Printing
3
Racetracks
1
Radio Networks
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
13
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
9
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
34
Residential Remodelers
65
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
4
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
2
Securities Brokerage
10
Security Guards and Patrol Services
6
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
21
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
34
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
26
Software Publishers
3
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
17
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
2
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Temporary Help Services
7
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
12
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
13
Tobacco Stores
6
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
5
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
13
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
11
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
18
Video Tape and Disc Rental
11
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
6
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
13
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
15
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
2

Have You Considered Buying an Existing El Cajon Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in El Cajon.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Company Formation in El Cajon, California

It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in California, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in California. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. 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 Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in El Cajon, California, our web page covering Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Raising money to fund your new El Cajon business 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.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as 504 Loans.

For El Cajon entrepreneurs who need startup capital, we have assembled a List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Startup

To rise above the crowd in El Cajon and build your business, you need a excellent marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Phone Book Advertising Costs discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

What's Next?

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

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in El Cajon and elsewhere to achieve real success. 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 El Cajon, California

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Edwards AFB
Starting a Business in El Centro

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

 

 

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