California Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Mill Valley, California
Contemplating starting a business in Mill Valley, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Mill Valley.
Mill Valley, California Demographic Information
Mill Valley has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Mill Valley demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Mill Valley.
Businesses
As a new Mill Valley entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Mill Valley 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.
Businesses
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Mill Valley, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Protecting Your Franchise Territory. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.
Representative franchise opportunities include Paradise Bakery and Cafe Franchises and Saint Cinnamon Bakery. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Health and Beauty Franchises and Leisure and Entertainment Franchises.
Note on Mill Valley Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Mill Valley.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, 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 Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Mill Valley business 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.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Attracting Investors.
For Mill Valley 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
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Mill Valley business to do well.
Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Hiring Telemarketing Firms to Generate Sales Leads is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset
Good entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Mill Valley, California, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local California educational institutions. We also recommend you look into networking groups or organizations in which Mill Valley entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Moving Forward
Most new Mill Valley businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Mill Valley businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Mill Valley 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 Mill Valley, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Mill Valley.
- Resources for Mill Valley, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Mill Valley 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 Center (SBDC) at Southwestern College serves entrepreneurs and small businesses in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The SBDC 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.
- Orange County Small Business Development Center - The Orange County SBDC is a leader in providing consulting, training, and technical assistance to the small business community.
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