California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Torrance, California

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most new ventures fail, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you open a business, 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:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Torrance. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business Are You Starting?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Good Business Ideas.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Cesspool Building & Service Business guide or our Opening a Hydromulching Services Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Torrance has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Torrance than others. Don't forget to review Torrance demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Torrance, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
10669
5-9 Employees
3608
10-19 Employees
2391
20-49 Employees
1739
50-99 Employees
732
100-249 Employees
402
250-499 Employees
141
500-999 Employees
33
1000+ Employees
24
All Torrance Businesses
19739

As a new Torrance entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Torrance 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
16
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Ambulance Services
3
Amusement Arcades
4
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Architectural Services
22
Art Dealers
4
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
3
Automobile Driving Schools
4
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Baked Goods Stores
5
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
50
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
19
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
8
Books Printing
2
Bowling Centers
3
Breweries
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
6
Business and Secretarial Schools
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
6
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Car Washes
8
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
7
Child Day Care Services
48
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
7
Civic and Social Organizations
9
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Bakeries
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
17
Commercial Photography
4
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
3
Computer Facilities Management Services
4
Computer Systems Design Services
50
Computer Training
4
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
5
Consumer Lending
8
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
7
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Copper Wire (except Mechanical) Drawing
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
7
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Curtain and Drapery Mills
2
Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
64
Dance Companies
1
Dental Laboratories
13
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
10
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
5
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
7
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
4
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
8
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
8
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
37
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
15
Employment Placement Agencies
11
Engineering Services
65
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
14
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
10
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
23
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
12
Finish Carpentry Contractors
12
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
22
Flight Training
3
Floor Covering Stores
11
Florists
12
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
11
Food Service Contractors
12
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
8
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
4
Framing Contractors
5
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
165
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
7
Furniture Stores
27
General Automotive Repair
60
General Freight Trucking, Local
19
General Warehousing and Storage
9
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
32
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Grantmaking Foundations
9
Graphic Design Services
27
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
16
Hardware Stores
10
HMO Medical Centers
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
15
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
11
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
17
Household Appliance Stores
6
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Industrial Valve Manufacturing
1
Institutional Furniture Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
117
Interior Design Services
8
International Trade Financing
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
8
Investment Advice
27
Iron and Steel Forging
1
Janitorial Services
25
Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing
1
Jewelry Stores
37
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
31
Language Schools
4
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
12
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
175
Limousine Service
2
Locksmiths
3
Machine Shops
30
Mail-Order Houses
14
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
23
Masonry Contractors
13
Meat Markets
4
Media Representatives
3
Medical Laboratories
8
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
3
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Stamping
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
4
Mixed Mode Transit Systems
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
16
Motion Picture and Video Production
10
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Nail Salons
19
New Car Dealers
22
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
21
Nursing Care Facilities
12
Office Administrative Services
43
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
15
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
7
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Chiropractors
36
Offices of Dentists
216
Offices of Lawyers
182
Offices of Optometrists
30
Offices of Other Holding Companies
6
Offices of Podiatrists
9
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
7
Optical Goods Stores
12
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
4
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
21
Parking Lots and Garages
6
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
5
Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing
1
Periodical Publishers
12
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
11
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
3
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
37
Photography Studios, Portrait
9
Political Organizations
3
Portfolio Management
7
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
6
Prepress Services
3
Private Mail Centers
7
Professional Employer Organizations
5
Professional Organizations
6
Public Relations Agencies
5
Radio Stations
9
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
34
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
2
Residential Remodelers
42
Retail Bakeries
5
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
11
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
6
Savings Institutions
18
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
26
Security Guards and Patrol Services
18
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Shoe Stores
36
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
42
Software Publishers
13
Software Reproducing
2
Sporting Goods Stores
17
Sports and Recreation Instruction
9
Storage Battery Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
26
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
52
Testing Laboratories
16
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
10
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
2
Tour Operators
5
Tradebinding and Related Work
2
Translation and Interpretation Services
4
Travel Agencies
28
Used Car Dealers
4
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
10
Veterinary Services
15
Video Tape and Disc Rental
14
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
10
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
15
Women's Clothing Stores
26

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Torrance, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Questions to Ask Franchisors. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Pop-a-Lock Franchise System and Golden Corral Buffet & Grill. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bookstore Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Torrance 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 Torrance.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

A business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read 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.

Moving Forward

Most new Torrance businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Toluca Lake
Starting a Business in Tracy

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

 

 

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