California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Monterey, California

Are you starting a business in Monterey, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Monterey.

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Monterey. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

What Business to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Aircraft Radio Equipment Business guide or our Starting a Chiropractic School guide.

Don't forget that your new business will be in Monterey. Some businesses will do better in Monterey than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Monterey demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Monterey, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
14575
5-9 Employees
5515
10-19 Employees
4275
20-49 Employees
2535
50-99 Employees
825
100-249 Employees
345
250-499 Employees
150
500-999 Employees
30
1000+ Employees
15
All Monterey Businesses
28265

As a new Monterey entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Monterey 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
6
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
14
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
10
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
4
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
5
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
4
Car Washes
5
Caterers
4
Child and Youth Services
5
Child Day Care Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
7
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commercial Photography
3
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
3
Computer Systems Design Services
8
Consumer Lending
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Bureaus
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
11
Deep Sea Passenger Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
7
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
11
Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
7
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
16
Electronic Shopping
3
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
20
Environmental Consulting Services
4
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
4
Finfish Fishing
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
15
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
3
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
88
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
9
General Automotive Repair
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
7
Graphic Design Services
5
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
7
Homes for the Elderly
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
27
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
7
Jewelry Stores
14
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscape Architectural Services
4
Landscaping Services
10
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Livestock Merchant Wholesalers
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
6
Meat Markets
2
Media Representatives
1
Men's and Boys' Neckwear Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
7
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
New Car Dealers
4
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
12
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
4
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
25
Offices of Chiropractors
15
Offices of Dentists
56
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
9
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
6
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Parking Lots and Garages
4
Passenger Car Rental
5
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
6
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Portfolio Management
3
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
7
Real Estate Credit
10
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Residential Property Managers
18
Residential Remodelers
23
Retail Bakeries
2
Roofing Contractors
3
Savings Institutions
2
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
5
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
6
Sign Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Software Publishers
8
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Tax Preparation Services
10
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
2
Temporary Help Services
10
Testing Laboratories
1
Tire Dealers
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Tortilla Manufacturing
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
4
Travel Agencies
6
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
7
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
9
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

As you drive around Monterey, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying a Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Arizona Pizza Company and In Home Pet Services. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Asian Restaurant Franchises and Environmental Testing Franchises.

Note on Monterey Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Monterey, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

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.

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Monterey, it's very important that you make sure no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Monterey business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Borrowing Money from Friends and Family.

For Monterey entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Ramping Up Sales

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Monterey or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.

Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Some Interesting Monterey Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Monterey entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Monterey. 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.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Monterey and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Monterey 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 Monterey, California

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Montecito
Starting a Business in Monterey Park

Browse All Business Startup Guides for California
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

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Franchise Opportunities

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