Contemplating starting a business in Oakhurst, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Oakhurst.
Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
- Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Oakhurst. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- Take a look at The Entrepreneurial Personality. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
- Reach out to a trusted acquaintance. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Good 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 an Audio & Video Recording Equipment & Supplies Business guide or our Starting an Employment Placement Consultants Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Oakhurst. Some businesses will do better in Oakhurst than others. Make sure you fully understand Oakhurst demographics before you lock in on your business idea.
Oakhurst, California Demographic Information
Oakhurst has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Oakhurst demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Oakhurst.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
2352 |
| 5-9 Employees |
1020 |
| 10-19 Employees |
672 |
| 20-49 Employees |
276 |
| 50-99 Employees |
48 |
| 100-249 Employees |
36 |
| 250-499 Employees |
0 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Oakhurst Businesses |
4404 |
As a new Oakhurst entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Oakhurst 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 |
| Art Dealers |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Beauty Salons |
2 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
1 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
1 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
2 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
2 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
2 |
| Electrical Contractors |
7 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
3 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
2 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
14 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
2 |
| General Automotive Repair |
13 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
4 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
3 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
3 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
9 |
| Internet Service Providers |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
1 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
1 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
8 |
| Logging |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Museums |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument Manufacturing |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
1 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
3 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
3 |
| Offices of Dentists |
6 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
9 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
1 |
| Residential Remodelers |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
4 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
2 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
3 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
2 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
3 |
| Tire Dealers |
1 |
| Tobacco Stores |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
2 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Oakhurst Business?
We've created a helpful 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 Oakhurst.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.
Forming a Company in Oakhurst, California
It's very important that you form your business as a legal structure. Without a legal structure for the business, you can be held personally liable for the actions, debts and obligations of your company.
When forming a company, you will pick from many company types, such as a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
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 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 are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as C Corp Versus S Corp. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Oakhurst, California, our web page covering Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Raising money to fund your new Oakhurst business 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.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as 504 Loans.
For Oakhurst entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
Marketing Your New Venture
Whether your goal is to attract Oakhurst customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a solid marketing plan.
You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Advertising on the Web is a good read to get your marketing creativity flowing. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Moving Forward
You have a dream -- starting a business in Oakhurst. 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.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Oakhurst 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 Oakhurst, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Oakhurst.
- Resources for Oakhurst, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Oakhurst 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.
- Oakhurst, California Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Oakhurst, California newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Oakhurst area.
- Oakhurst, California Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Oakhurst, California area radio stations.
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