Thinking about starting a business in Las Cruces, New Mexico? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Las Cruces.
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
Don't forget that Las Cruces is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Las Cruces than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Las Cruces demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Las Cruces has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Las Cruces demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Las Cruces.
As a new Las Cruces entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Las Cruces 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 |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
3 |
| Amusement Arcades |
3 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
11 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
3 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
17 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
23 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
2 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
8 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Book Stores |
4 |
| Bottled Water Manufacturing |
1 |
| Breweries |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
3 |
| Business Associations |
5 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
2 |
| Cafeterias |
2 |
| Car Washes |
5 |
| Carpet and Rug Mills |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Cheese Manufacturing |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
29 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
22 |
| Claims Adjusting |
4 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
6 |
| Collection Agencies |
3 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
3 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
7 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
3 |
| Computer Training |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
19 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
5 |
| Copper Wire (except Mechanical) Drawing |
1 |
| Couriers |
3 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
5 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
10 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
3 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
4 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
3 |
| Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
6 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
12 |
| Educational Support Services |
2 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
35 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
5 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
30 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
7 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
4 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
5 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Farm Product Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
14 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
10 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
7 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
12 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
2 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
5 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
3 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Canning |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
80 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Furniture Stores |
16 |
| General Automotive Repair |
36 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
5 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
7 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
2 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
7 |
| Home Centers |
5 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
8 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
4 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
5 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
65 |
| Interior Design Services |
2 |
| Internet Service Providers |
4 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
5 |
| Janitorial Services |
23 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
8 |
| Land Subdivision |
10 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
4 |
| Landscaping Services |
29 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
18 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
94 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Machine Shops |
4 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
13 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
10 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
6 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
3 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
4 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
4 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
5 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
10 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
9 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
7 |
| Office Administrative Services |
6 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
5 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
23 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
10 |
| Offices of Dentists |
45 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
62 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
11 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
5 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
11 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
2 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
9 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paging |
2 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
3 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
26 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
4 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
7 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
2 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
7 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
5 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
3 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
6 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
2 |
| Radio Stations |
6 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
6 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
12 |
| Residential Remodelers |
21 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
19 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
8 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Schiffli Machine Embroidery |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
14 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
4 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
14 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
4 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
14 |
| Software Publishers |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
2 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Specialty Canning |
1 |
| Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
6 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
5 |
| Taxi Service |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Testing Laboratories |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
3 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
13 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
8 |
| Tire Retreading |
1 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Tortilla Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
5 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
1 |
| Truck Trailer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
4 |
| Used Car Dealers |
11 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
4 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
2 |
| Veterinary Services |
11 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
9 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
3 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
7 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
3 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
7 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
14 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.
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. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in New Mexico, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in New Mexico. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Las Cruces, New Mexico, our information on Incorporating in New Mexico may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in New Mexico.
To grow your Las Cruces business, you need a solid marketing plan.
Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local New Mexico educational institutions. We also recommend you look into networking organizations for Las Cruces entrepreneurs.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Las Cruces. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Las Cruces 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.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Las Cruces.
