California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Fullerton, California

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

An entrepreneurial life is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you certain you want to go into business for yourself?

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Fullerton. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Fullerton, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
21160
5-9 Employees
6992
10-19 Employees
4284
20-49 Employees
3780
50-99 Employees
1296
100-249 Employees
840
250-499 Employees
168
500-999 Employees
60
1000+ Employees
60
All Fullerton Businesses
38640

As a new Fullerton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fullerton 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
9
Air Traffic Control
1
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
7
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
10
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Beauty Salons
35
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
19
Boat Building
2
Book Stores
10
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
6
Business to Business Electronic Markets
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Car Washes
9
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
7
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
15
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
6
Commercial Photography
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
6
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
25
Computer Training
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
3
Convenience Stores
10
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
2
Couriers
4
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
20
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dental Laboratories
5
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Drafting Services
1
Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
13
Dry Pasta Manufacturing
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
30
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
2
Electronic Resistor Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
8
Elementary and Secondary Schools
9
Engineering Services
29
Envelope Manufacturing
1
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
15
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
11
Fabric Coating Mills
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
1
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
10
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Flat Glass Manufacturing
1
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
6
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
6
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
7
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
91
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
General Automotive Repair
43
General Freight Trucking, Local
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
10
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
8
Hardware Stores
3
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
HMO Medical Centers
2
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
3
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
9
Household Appliance Stores
1
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
54
Interior Design Services
6
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Service Providers
2
Investment Advice
10
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
14
Jewelry Stores
12
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
31
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
5
Libraries and Archives
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
128
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
2
Locksmiths
1
Mail-Order Houses
8
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marketing Consulting Services
15
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Meat Markets
3
Media Buying Agencies
2
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
13
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Metal Stamping
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
6
Museums
2
Music Publishers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
10
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Car Dealers
8
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Syndicates
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
9
Office Administrative Services
16
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
28
Offices of Chiropractors
13
Offices of Dentists
88
Offices of Lawyers
79
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
4
Passenger Car Rental
5
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
3
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
15
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
3
Portfolio Management
7
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
4
Prepress Services
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
6
Real Estate Credit
21
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
2
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Remodelers
23
Retail Bakeries
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Roofing Contractors
10
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
16
Securities Brokerage
10
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
6
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
12
Sign Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
26
Software Publishers
1
Sporting Goods Stores
7
Sports and Recreation Instruction
5
Storage Battery Manufacturing
1
Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
13
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
2
Temporary Help Services
11
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
5
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Thread Mills
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
13
Tire Retreading
1
Tobacco Stores
3
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
3
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
10
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
11
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
32
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
14
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Fullerton, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Detecting Franchising Scams. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Andy's Parties and Signs Now Corporation. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Apparel Franchises and Interior Environment Franchises.

Note on Fullerton Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Fullerton, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Choosing a Business Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Fullerton, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Funding for Your Business

Getting your Fullerton business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.

For Fullerton entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Business

To grow your Fullerton business, you need a great marketing plan.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. When to Get a Toll Free Number is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Fullerton and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Fullerton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Fullerton, California

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

More Startup Articles for California Cities

Starting a Business in Fresno
Starting a Business in Galt

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary