Thinking about starting a business in Lake Havasu City, Arizona? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lake Havasu City.
Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?
Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much more challenging than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Lake Havasu City. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
- We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.
Lake Havasu City, Arizona Demographic Information
Lake Havasu City has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lake Havasu City demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lake Havasu City.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2910 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1115 |
| 10-19 Employees |
687 |
| 20-49 Employees |
414 |
| 50-99 Employees |
102 |
| 100-249 Employees |
54 |
| 250-499 Employees |
6 |
| 500-999 Employees |
6 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Lake Havasu City Businesses |
5294 |
As a new Lake Havasu City entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lake Havasu City 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 |
3 |
| Amusement Arcades |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
4 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
2 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
15 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Boat Building |
9 |
| Boat Dealers |
6 |
| Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
2 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
10 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Claims Adjusting |
2 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
3 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
5 |
| Computer Storage Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
2 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
2 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
6 |
| Dental Laboratories |
4 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
2 |
| Discount Department Stores |
2 |
| Drafting Services |
5 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
10 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
19 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
32 |
| Electronic Shopping |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
4 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
7 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
8 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
12 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
6 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
7 |
| Flooring Contractors |
5 |
| Florists |
3 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
20 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
47 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
14 |
| General Automotive Repair |
20 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
6 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
13 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
3 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
6 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
25 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
16 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
19 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
40 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Marinas |
3 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
22 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
3 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
7 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
4 |
| Music Publishers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
3 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
6 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
6 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
3 |
| Office Administrative Services |
5 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
3 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
10 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
11 |
| Offices of Dentists |
14 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
16 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
8 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
5 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
22 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
4 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
7 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
3 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
2 |
| Real Estate Credit |
13 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
3 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
7 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
21 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
4 |
| Roofing Contractors |
11 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
5 |
| Siding Contractors |
1 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
15 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
11 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
7 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
3 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
14 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Tour Operators |
3 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
2 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
6 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
4 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
2 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
8 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
3 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
6 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
What About Buying an Existing Lake Havasu City Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Arizona. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Lake Havasu City.
If you are intent on buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
Naming the Business
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.
We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Lake Havasu City, it's critical that you ensure that no other Arizona company is using the business name you want to use.
Getting Money to Start a Business
Getting your Lake Havasu City 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.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Business Incubators.
For Lake Havasu City entrepreneurs who need startup capital, browse our List of Arizona Angel Investors and our List of Arizona Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Business
Whether your goal is to attract Lake Havasu City customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.
You can learn all about marketing on our site. Facebook Advertising is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
Ramping Up Sales
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Lake Havasu City business, you need to focus on sales.
So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Sales Forecasting is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Lake Havasu City, 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 Lake Havasu City 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 Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lake Havasu City.
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