Are you starting a business in Los Alamitos, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Los Alamitos.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.
For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Music Rehearsal Studios Business guide or our Opening a Tobacco Buyers & Redryers Business guide.
Remember that you are starting a business in Los Alamitos. Some businesses will do better in Los Alamitos than others. Study Los Alamitos demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Los Alamitos, California Demographic Information
Los Alamitos has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Los Alamitos demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Los Alamitos.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
1923 |
| 5-9 Employees |
636 |
| 10-19 Employees |
429 |
| 20-49 Employees |
309 |
| 50-99 Employees |
54 |
| 100-249 Employees |
51 |
| 250-499 Employees |
15 |
| 500-999 Employees |
9 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Los Alamitos Businesses |
3426 |
As a new Los Alamitos entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Los Alamitos 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 |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
2 |
| Architectural Services |
2 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
|
Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
4 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Ball and Roller Bearing Manufacturing |
1 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
5 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
|
Book Publishers |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
|
Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
3 |
| Claims Adjusting |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
4 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
|
Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Community Food Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
6 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
2 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
1 |
|
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
4 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
8 |
| Dental Laboratories |
2 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
3 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
1 |
|
Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Document Preparation Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
3 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
18 |
|
Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
12 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
8 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
5 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
|
Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
3 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
5 |
| Florists |
5 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
|
Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
5 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
17 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
6 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
2 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
|
General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
4 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
3 |
|
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
3 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
29 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
|
Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
10 |
| Janitorial Services |
5 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
2 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
5 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
3 |
|
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
25 |
| Limousine Service |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
10 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
10 |
| Masonry Contractors |
2 |
|
Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
10 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
2 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
|
Nonresidential Property Managers |
3 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
2 |
| Office Administrative Services |
7 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
30 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
11 |
| Offices of Dentists |
32 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
24 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
2 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
3 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Packaging Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
4 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
1 |
|
Passenger Car Leasing |
1 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
5 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
2 |
| Portfolio Management |
4 |
| Primary Aluminum Production |
1 |
|
Private Mail Centers |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
2 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
4 |
| Racetracks |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
3 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
|
Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
9 |
| Residential Remodelers |
24 |
| Retail Bakeries |
1 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
3 |
|
Securities Brokerage |
5 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
2 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
6 |
|
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
3 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
2 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
2 |
| Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
7 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
1 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
|
Temporary Help Services |
2 |
| Temporary Shelters |
2 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
4 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
24 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Los Alamitos Business?
We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Los Alamitos.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: How to Buy a Business.
The Role of the Business Plan
A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Los Alamitos business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.
On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Angel Investors.
For Los Alamitos entrepreneurs with great ambition but a shortage of investment capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Los Alamitos or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Learning More About Entrepreneurship
Good entrepreneurs know that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Los Alamitos, California, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any Los Alamitos networking organizations.
Now It's Up To You
You have a dream -- starting a business in Los Alamitos. 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 Los Alamitos 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 Los Alamitos, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Los Alamitos.
- Resources for Los Alamitos, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Los Alamitos 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.
- Los Alamitos, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Los Alamitos, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Los Alamitos area.
- Los Alamitos, California Payroll Services - This list includes Los Alamitos, California payroll services, national payroll services for Los Alamitos, and helpful information on choosing a Los Alamitos payroll service.
- Los Alamitos, California Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Los Alamitos, California, such as business brokers in Los Alamitos and other helpful information on how to buy a Los Alamitos business.
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