California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Pomona, California

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

Pomona, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
12644
5-9 Employees
4892
10-19 Employees
3660
20-49 Employees
3024
50-99 Employees
1008
100-249 Employees
588
250-499 Employees
192
500-999 Employees
48
1000+ Employees
12
All Pomona Businesses
26068

As a new Pomona entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Pomona 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
Adhesive Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
2
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
1
Armored Car Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
21
Automotive Transmission Repair
6
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
5
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
9
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
4
Books Printing
1
Broom, Brush, and Mop Manufacturing
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
4
Car Washes
14
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Commercial Photography
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Facilities Management Services
2
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Computer Terminal Manufacturing
1
Computer Training
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
5
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
5
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
6
Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing
1
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
9
Educational Support Services
5
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
15
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
6
Envelope Manufacturing
2
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Floor Covering Stores
2
Florists
6
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
4
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
2
Full-Service Restaurants
52
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
49
General Freight Trucking, Local
15
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
2
Hardware Stores
2
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
7
Home Health Care Services
4
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
12
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
13
Jewelry Stores
2
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
8
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
93
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
7
Machine Shops
8
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Markets
4
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
3
Metal Heat Treating
2
Metal Stamping
4
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
4
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
6
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newsprint Mills
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
12
Office Administrative Services
8
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
6
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
39
Offices of Lawyers
27
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Parking Lots and Garages
2
Payroll Services
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
17
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
2
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Quick Printing
1
Racetracks
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
8
Residential Remodelers
5
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
2
Rooming and Boarding Houses
3
Sales Financing
1
Savings Institutions
6
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
5
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Shoe Stores
3
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
12
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
3
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
8
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
4
Textile Bag Mills
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
10
Tobacco Stores
2
Tortilla Manufacturing
2
Tour Operators
1
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Travel Agencies
3
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
6
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
18
Window Treatment Stores
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
4
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Picking a Business 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.

Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

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

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Pomona 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 Business Line of Credit.

For Pomona entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, we have assembled a List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Startup

Whether your goal is to attract Pomona customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn a ton about marketing on our site. Phone Book Advertising Costs is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Bring in Revenues

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

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Pomona. 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 Pomona and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Pomona, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Pomona, California

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

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