California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Selma, California

Thinking about starting a business in Selma, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Selma.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Evaluating Your Idea.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Wholesaler & Manufacturer of Badges guide or our Opening a Flood Control Equipment & Services Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Selma has some implications. If Selma already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Make sure you fully understand Selma demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Selma, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3426
5-9 Employees
1530
10-19 Employees
738
20-49 Employees
864
50-99 Employees
198
100-249 Employees
90
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
18
1000+ Employees
0
All Selma Businesses
6900

As a new Selma entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Selma 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
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Business Associations
1
Cafeterias
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
1
Convenience Stores
3
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
2
Florists
2
Full-Service Restaurants
15
Furniture Stores
1
General Automotive Repair
8
General Freight Trucking, Local
8
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Hardware Stores
2
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Janitorial Services
1
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
17
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
10
Offices of Lawyers
2
Offices of Optometrists
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Real Estate Credit
3
Residential Property Managers
1
Retail Bakeries
1
Savings Institutions
1
Shoe Stores
1
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Tire Dealers
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
1
Veterinary Services
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Selma, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Cartoon Cuts and Jamaica Blue. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Video and Photography Franchises and Hardware Store Franchises.

Note on Selma Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Selma.

What About Buying an Existing Selma Business?

We've created a handy 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 Selma.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Promoting Your New Company

Whether your goal is to attract Selma customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your doing well.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Responsible Marketing is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

The Art of Selling

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

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.

Writing Great Proposals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

What's Next?

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

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

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Sebastopol
Starting a Business in Shafter

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

 

 

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