California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in South Lake Tahoe, California

Need help starting a business in South Lake Tahoe, California? We've got the information you need to open a business in South Lake Tahoe.

Will You Be a Successful Entrepreneur?

Most new companies fail, in part because the founder did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in South Lake Tahoe. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

What Business to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. We recommend that you read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

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 a Chemical Spraying Services Business guide or our How to Start a Textile Mill Equipment & Supplies Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in South Lake Tahoe has some implications. Some businesses will do better in South Lake Tahoe than others. A critical consideration is whether South Lake Tahoe demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

South Lake Tahoe, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1846
5-9 Employees
669
10-19 Employees
351
20-49 Employees
204
50-99 Employees
63
100-249 Employees
27
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
6
All South Lake Tahoe Businesses
3172

As a new South Lake Tahoe entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in South Lake Tahoe 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
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
4
Art Dealers
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
3
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Beauty Salons
2
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
2
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Casino Hotels
1
Caterers
3
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
9
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Convenience Stores
6
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
3
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
11
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
8
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
3
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
64
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
15
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
10
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
1
Homes for the Elderly
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
10
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
3
Janitorial Services
9
Jewelry Stores
2
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
13
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
27
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Marinas
4
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Markets
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
6
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Natural Gas Distribution
1
New Car Dealers
3
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
11
Offices of Lawyers
14
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Optical Goods Stores
3
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Passenger Car Rental
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Quick Printing
3
Recreational Goods Rental
14
Residential Property Managers
7
Residential Remodelers
21
Roofing Contractors
8
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
2
Shoe Stores
4
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Skiing Facilities
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
11
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
15
Tax Preparation Services
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
3
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire Dealers
4
Tour Operators
2
Travel Agencies
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
5

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Browse the Yellow Pages for South Lake Tahoe and it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Understanding Franchise Contracts. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Blimpie Subs & Salads and Futurekids Inc. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Specialty Foods Franchises and Health and Beauty Franchises.

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

Should You Buy an Existing South Lake Tahoe Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in South Lake Tahoe.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

The Role of the Business Plan

Writing a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan will greatly reduce your chances of business success.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Reasons to Write a Business Plan. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your South Lake Tahoe business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. National TV Spot Advertising Rates discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

What's Next?

Most new South Lake Tahoe businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

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

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in South Lake Tahoe and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe, California

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

Starting a Business in Sonora
Starting a Business in South Pasadena

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

 

 

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