California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in San Bernardino, California

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

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 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 Opening an Engineering Surveys Business guide or our Opening a Fencing Instruction Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in San Bernardino has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in San Bernardino. Don't forget to review San Bernardino demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

San Bernardino, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4871
5-9 Employees
1935
10-19 Employees
1447
20-49 Employees
1141
50-99 Employees
384
100-249 Employees
276
250-499 Employees
48
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
9
All San Bernardino Businesses
10123

As a new San Bernardino entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in San Bernardino 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
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
2
Armored Car Services
1
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
32
Automotive Transmission Repair
8
Baked Goods Stores
4
Beauty Salons
13
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
26
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
9
Bowling Centers
2
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
5
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
12
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Cheese Manufacturing
1
Child and Youth Services
11
Child Day Care Services
28
Civic and Social Organizations
18
Claims Adjusting
4
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
5
Commercial Photography
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
7
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
2
Consumer Lending
5
Convenience Stores
14
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
16
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
8
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
7
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
7
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
5
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
12
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
13
Educational Support Services
5
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
2
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
8
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
28
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
10
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
13
Family Planning Centers
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
8
Flooring Contractors
6
Florists
9
Flour Milling
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
2
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
2
Full-Service Restaurants
102
Furniture Stores
24
General Automotive Repair
52
General Freight Trucking, Local
17
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
13
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
2
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
8
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Home Centers
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
5
Home Health Care Services
11
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
9
Household Appliance Stores
3
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
64
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
2
Investment Advice
7
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
22
Jewelry Stores
15
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
2
Landscaping Services
24
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
10
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
147
Limousine Service
3
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
4
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
11
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
6
Nail Salons
15
Natural Gas Distribution
3
New Car Dealers
21
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
9
Nursing Care Facilities
14
Office Administrative Services
17
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
9
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
7
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
18
Offices of Dentists
81
Offices of Lawyers
109
Offices of Optometrists
14
Offices of Podiatrists
2
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
9
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
3
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Parking Lots and Garages
3
Passenger Car Rental
4
Payroll Services
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
19
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Public Relations Agencies
2
Radio Stations
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
17
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
3
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Residential Property Managers
13
Residential Remodelers
19
Retail Bakeries
2
Roofing Contractors
7
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
8
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
Securities Brokerage
8
Security Guards and Patrol Services
11
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
16
Siding Contractors
1
Site Preparation Contractors
12
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
30
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
3
Software Reproducing
1
Solid Waste Collection
4
Sporting Goods Stores
10
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Tax Preparation Services
27
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Temporary Shelters
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
3
Tire Dealers
24
Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)
1
Tobacco Stores
2
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing
3
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
13
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
12
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
4
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
13
Women's Clothing Stores
13
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
3

Choosing a Company Name

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

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

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, 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.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your San Bernardino business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled How Much Venture Capital Is There?.

For San Bernardino entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your San Bernardino business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Avoiding Bad Product Launches is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Building Up Your Sales

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new San Bernardino business, you need to focus on sales.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Selling with Questions offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in San Bernardino, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino, California

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in San Andreas
Starting a Business in San Clemente

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

 

 

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