Thinking about starting a business in San Leandro, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in San Leandro.
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.
Remember that starting a business in San Leandro has some implications. If San Leandro already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Only by spending some time analyzing San Leandro demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
San Leandro has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for San Leandro demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in San Leandro.
As a new San Leandro entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in San Leandro 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 |
| Advertising Agencies |
2 |
| Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries |
1 |
| Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting) |
2 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
1 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Armored Car Services |
1 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
12 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
2 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
18 |
| Bed-and-Breakfast Inns |
1 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
14 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Book Stores |
2 |
| Books Printing |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
2 |
| Business Associations |
2 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
1 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
1 |
| Cafeterias |
4 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
3 |
| Car Washes |
3 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
5 |
| Caterers |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
9 |
| Child Day Care Services |
13 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
2 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
7 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
2 |
| Coffee and Tea Manufacturing |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
5 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
3 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
14 |
| Commercial Photography |
1 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
5 |
| Computer Training |
3 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
1 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Consumer Lending |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
3 |
| Convenience Stores |
16 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
2 |
| Couriers |
7 |
| Credit Bureaus |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
8 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
16 |
| Dental Laboratories |
6 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
5 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
2 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
2 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
4 |
| Display Advertising |
3 |
| Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drafting Services |
1 |
| Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
17 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
5 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
28 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
4 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
13 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
2 |
| Engineering Services |
12 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
2 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
9 |
| Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
5 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
12 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
9 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
6 |
| Flooring Contractors |
4 |
| Florists |
6 |
| Fluid Milk Manufacturing |
1 |
| Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
5 |
| Food Product Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
4 |
| Framing Contractors |
2 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
12 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
70 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
2 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
12 |
| Furniture Stores |
16 |
| General Automotive Repair |
42 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
22 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
11 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
8 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
3 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
3 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
11 |
| Hardware Stores |
6 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
1 |
| Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal |
1 |
| Heating Oil Dealers |
1 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
2 |
| Home Centers |
2 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
7 |
| Home Health Care Services |
7 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
8 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
2 |
| Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
43 |
| Interior Design Services |
1 |
| Internet Service Providers |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
2 |
| Investment Advice |
8 |
| Iron Foundries |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
11 |
| Jewelry Stores |
8 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
2 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
2 |
| Landscaping Services |
13 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
8 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
75 |
| Limousine Service |
2 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
5 |
| Locksmiths |
1 |
| Machine Shops |
14 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
3 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
4 |
| Marking Device Manufacturing |
1 |
| Masonry Contractors |
5 |
| Mattress Manufacturing |
1 |
| Meat Markets |
2 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
4 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
4 |
| Metal Heat Treating |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
5 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Music Publishers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
14 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
7 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
5 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
4 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
5 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
9 |
| Office Administrative Services |
4 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
4 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
19 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
15 |
| Offices of Dentists |
70 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
23 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
12 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
4 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
3 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
2 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
2 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
3 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Coating Manufacturing |
2 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
11 |
| Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing |
1 |
| Paperboard Mills |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
10 |
| Periodical Publishers |
3 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
3 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
5 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
11 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
1 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plate Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
1 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
2 |
| Prepress Services |
2 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
3 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Professional Organizations |
1 |
| Quick Printing |
7 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
30 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
4 |
| Residential Property Managers |
14 |
| Residential Remodelers |
28 |
| Retail Bakeries |
2 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
3 |
| Roofing Contractors |
9 |
| Sales Financing |
1 |
| Savings Institutions |
8 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
7 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
5 |
| Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
5 |
| Shoe Stores |
17 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
5 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
27 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
5 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
4 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
3 |
| Spring (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing |
2 |
| Steel Investment Foundries |
1 |
| Steel Wire Drawing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
2 |
| Television Broadcasting |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
5 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
4 |
| Textile Bag Mills |
1 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
6 |
| Tire Dealers |
6 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
4 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
2 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
2 |
| Travel Agencies |
7 |
| Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
11 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
7 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
3 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
5 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
19 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
2 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
9 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
8 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing |
2 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
As you drive around San Leandro, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.
Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in San Leandro, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only California company using the business name you have chosen.
A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. 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.
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new San Leandro business to do well.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Most new San Leandro businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help San Leandro businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in San Leandro, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in San Leandro.
