Thinking about starting a business in Lompoc, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Lompoc.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
- Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Lompoc. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- Peruse Why Small Businesses Fail. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
- 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.
Lompoc, California Demographic Information
Lompoc has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lompoc demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lompoc.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1111 |
| 5-9 Employees |
504 |
| 10-19 Employees |
357 |
| 20-49 Employees |
237 |
| 50-99 Employees |
60 |
| 100-249 Employees |
9 |
| 250-499 Employees |
9 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Lompoc Businesses |
2290 |
As a new Lompoc entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lompoc 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 |
| Air Traffic Control |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
9 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
8 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
7 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
3 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
15 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
8 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
3 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Convenience Stores |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
5 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Discount Department Stores |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
6 |
| Engineering Services |
7 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
2 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
2 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
4 |
| Flooring Contractors |
3 |
| Florists |
2 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
36 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
4 |
| General Automotive Repair |
6 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
2 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
2 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
15 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry Stores |
3 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
13 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
4 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
35 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
3 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
2 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
3 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
19 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
6 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
2 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
6 |
| Residential Remodelers |
7 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
4 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Siding Contractors |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
2 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
7 |
| Software Publishers |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
2 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
3 |
| Tortilla Manufacturing |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
3 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
3 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
2 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
3 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wineries |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
4 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Lompoc Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Lompoc.
If you are going to be buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.
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.
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: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Lompoc, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Lompoc, California
It's essential 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 popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in California, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in California. 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 Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Lompoc, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Lompoc customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.
You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Marketing Research 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.
Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur in Lompoc, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Lompoc and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lompoc entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lompoc, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lompoc.
- Resources for Lompoc, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lompoc 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.
- Lompoc, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lompoc, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lompoc area.
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