Are you starting a business in Los Gatos, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Los Gatos.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Free Business Ideas.
To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Land Development & Planning Engineering Firm guide or our How to Start a Divorce Counseling & Mediation Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Los Gatos. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Los Gatos. Make sure you fully understand Los Gatos demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Los Gatos, California Demographic Information
Los Gatos has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Los Gatos demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Los Gatos.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
3420 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1035 |
| 10-19 Employees |
561 |
| 20-49 Employees |
348 |
| 50-99 Employees |
114 |
| 100-249 Employees |
51 |
| 250-499 Employees |
3 |
| 500-999 Employees |
3 |
| 1000+ Employees |
3 |
| All Los Gatos Businesses |
5538 |
As a new Los Gatos entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Los Gatos 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 |
5 |
| Architectural Services |
12 |
| Art Dealers |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
29 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
|
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
5 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
1 |
|
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
2 |
| Caterers |
2 |
| Child and Youth Services |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
14 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
6 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
|
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Collection Agencies |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
2 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
4 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
2 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
24 |
| Computer Training |
2 |
|
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
1 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
39 |
|
Dental Laboratories |
5 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
6 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
3 |
| Drafting Services |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
11 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Educational Support Services |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
13 |
|
Electronic Shopping |
3 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
32 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
3 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
|
Fine Arts Schools |
3 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
19 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
2 |
| Flooring Contractors |
2 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
6 |
|
Framing Contractors |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
52 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Stores |
5 |
| General Automotive Repair |
12 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
12 |
|
Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
9 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Health Care Services |
2 |
|
Home Health Equipment Rental |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
1 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
22 |
| Interior Design Services |
7 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
3 |
|
Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
4 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Jewelry Stores |
7 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
8 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
|
Landscaping Services |
17 |
| Language Schools |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Libraries and Archives |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
27 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
1 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
|
Mail-Order Houses |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
14 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Meat Markets |
1 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
2 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
|
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
17 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Nail Salons |
7 |
| New Car Dealers |
9 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
11 |
|
Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
9 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
15 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
26 |
| Offices of Dentists |
48 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
35 |
|
Offices of Optometrists |
7 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
4 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
7 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
2 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
10 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
3 |
|
Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
2 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
5 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
6 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
5 |
| Private Mail Centers |
2 |
|
Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
4 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
15 |
|
Residential Remodelers |
24 |
| Retail Bakeries |
3 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
5 |
| Securities Brokerage |
8 |
| Shoe Stores |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
|
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
13 |
| Software Publishers |
10 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
2 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
9 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
5 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
8 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
|
Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
7 |
| Travel Agencies |
6 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
1 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
|
Video Tape and Disc Rental |
6 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
4 |
| Web Search Portals |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
9 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
2 |
| Wineries |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
5 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
15 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Los Gatos Business?
We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Los Gatos.
If you are serious about 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.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Los Gatos, it's very important that you make sure no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Los Gatos, California
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal 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, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in California. In fact, you are allowed to incorporate wherever you want. 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 How to Incorporate. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Los Gatos, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Los Gatos business the capital it needs to succeed is not an easy task. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Only Idiots Send Venture Capitalists Business Plans.
For Los Gatos entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
Building Up Your Sales
Being able to sell is essential to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Los Gatos 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? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Sales Prospecting offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
What's Next?
You have a dream -- starting a business in Los Gatos. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Los Gatos and throughout the United States . 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 Gatos, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Los Gatos.
- Resources for Los Gatos, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Los Gatos 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 Gatos, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Los Gatos, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Los Gatos area.
- Los Gatos, California Payroll Services - This list includes Los Gatos, California payroll services, national payroll services for Los Gatos, and helpful information on choosing a Los Gatos payroll service.
- Los Gatos, California Businesses for Sale - This list includes resources for buying a business in Los Gatos, California, such as business brokers in Los Gatos and other helpful information on how to buy a Los Gatos business.
More Startup Articles for California Cities
Starting a Business in Los Banos
Starting a Business in Loyalton
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for California
Starting a Business
Guides for Other States
