Texas Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Lubbock, Texas

Contemplating starting a business in Lubbock, Texas? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Lubbock.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Being an entrepreneur is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you certain you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

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 Lubbock. Get their take on what it's really like to be 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. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Lubbock, Texas Demographic Information

Lubbock has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Lubbock demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lubbock.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9230
5-9 Employees
3997
10-19 Employees
2802
20-49 Employees
1893
50-99 Employees
552
100-249 Employees
351
250-499 Employees
51
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
12
All Lubbock Businesses
18912

As a new Lubbock entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lubbock 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
8
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
2
Amusement Arcades
8
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
8
Architectural Services
14
Armored Car Services
2
Art Dealers
3
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
4
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
17
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
39
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
39
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
3
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
23
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Boat Dealers
4
Book Publishers
4
Book Stores
12
Bowling Centers
3
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
2
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
4
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
12
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
17
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
9
Cemeteries and Crematories
4
Child and Youth Services
5
Child Day Care Services
61
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
9
Civic and Social Organizations
34
Claims Adjusting
15
Clothing Accessories Stores
11
Collection Agencies
7
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
16
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
3
Community Food Services
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Computer Systems Design Services
15
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
2
Consumer Lending
19
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
7
Convenience Stores
6
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Cotton Ginning
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
4
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
14
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
14
Custom Roll Forming
1
Dance Companies
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
8
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
8
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
7
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
1
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
42
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
1
Educational Support Services
8
Electric Power Distribution
5
Electrical Contractors
66
Electronic Shopping
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Environmental Consulting Services
11
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
12
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
31
Family Planning Centers
3
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
15
Fats and Oils Refining and Blending
1
Fine Arts Schools
10
Finish Carpentry Contractors
17
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
21
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
14
Florists
11
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
10
Food Service Contractors
15
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
12
Full-Service Restaurants
145
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
7
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
30
General Automotive Repair
48
General Freight Trucking, Local
22
General Rental Centers
14
General Warehousing and Storage
5
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
27
Glass and Glazing Contractors
6
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
9
Grantmaking Foundations
7
Graphic Design Services
7
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
7
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
33
Home Health Equipment Rental
7
Household Appliance Stores
9
Human Rights Organizations
2
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
3
Industrial Launderers
2
Industrial Pattern Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
203
Interior Design Services
6
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
2
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
12
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
43
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
25
Kidney Dialysis Centers
4
Land Subdivision
9
Landscape Architectural Services
6
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
12
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
233
Limousine Service
2
Linen Supply
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
7
Locksmiths
5
Machine Shops
10
Mail-Order Houses
6
Manifold Business Forms Printing
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Marking Device Manufacturing
2
Masonry Contractors
25
Meat Markets
4
Meat Processed from Carcasses
2
Media Representatives
3
Medical Laboratories
9
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
6
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
8
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
7
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
25
New Housing Operative Builders
4
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
12
Office Administrative Services
32
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
13
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
11
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
81
Offices of Chiropractors
24
Offices of Lawyers
175
Offices of Optometrists
21
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
6
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
8
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
12
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
32
Parking Lots and Garages
2
Passenger Car Rental
14
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
7
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
12
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
25
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
1
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
4
Political Organizations
4
Portfolio Management
12
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Private Mail Centers
6
Professional Organizations
8
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
7
Radio Networks
2
Radio Stations
11
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
16
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
2
Remediation Services
2
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
31
Residential Remodelers
35
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
8
Rooming and Boarding Houses
3
Sales Financing
6
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
6
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
39
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
23
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
6
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
37
Solid Waste Collection
4
Sound Recording Studios
4
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
27
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
4
Telemarketing Bureaus
6
Television Broadcasting
4
Temporary Help Services
19
Temporary Shelters
6
Testing Laboratories
7
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
8
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
4
Tire Dealers
18
Tire Retreading
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
3
Tortilla Manufacturing
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
10
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
35
Used Merchandise Stores
16
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
17
Video Tape and Disc Rental
14
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
7
Voluntary Health Organizations
7
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
40
Wineries
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
24
Women's Clothing Stores
34
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
3

Choosing a Company Name

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Lubbock, it's critical that you ensure that no other Texas company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Lubbock, Texas

A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Texas, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Texas. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as LLC Advantages. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Lubbock, Texas, our information on Incorporating in Texas may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Texas.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Texas.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Good business owners know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Lubbock, Texas, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Texas universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking organizations for Lubbock entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Lubbock, 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.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Lubbock and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lubbock 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 Lubbock, Texas

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lubbock.

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