California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Turlock, California

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Before you get too far along in the process, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Turlock. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Turlock, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2112
5-9 Employees
876
10-19 Employees
639
20-49 Employees
423
50-99 Employees
156
100-249 Employees
90
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
6
All Turlock Businesses
4314

As a new Turlock entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Turlock 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
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Architectural Services
6
Art Dealers
1
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
8
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
17
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Business Associations
4
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Cheese Manufacturing
4
Child Day Care Services
13
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
8
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Dental Laboratories
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
7
Discount Department Stores
3
Doll and Stuffed Toy Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
4
Electrical Contractors
16
Elementary and Secondary Schools
4
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Family Clothing Stores
6
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
6
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Floor Covering Stores
5
Florists
9
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
2
Framing Contractors
5
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
4
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
18
General Freight Trucking, Local
13
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
5
Hazardous Waste Collection
2
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Homes for the Elderly
6
Household Appliance Stores
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
27
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
3
Iron and Steel Mills
2
Iron Foundries
1
Janitorial Services
4
Jewelry Stores
6
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscaping Services
14
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
6
Limited-Service Restaurants
50
Linen Supply
1
Machine Shops
3
Mail-Order Houses
1
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
2
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
12
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
New Car Dealers
5
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
11
Offices of Chiropractors
11
Offices of Dentists
35
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
13
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Photography Studios, Portrait
4
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
5
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
18
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
4
Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills
2
Sales Financing
1
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
6
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
3
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
4
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
8
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Truck Trailer Manufacturing
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
6
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Watch, Clock, and Part Manufacturing
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
7
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
5
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3

Should You Franchise?

As you drive around Turlock, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you look into purchasing a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as The Disadvantages of Franchise Ownership. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include SportsLife and World Properties International. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Healthy Alternative Foods Franchises and Payroll Service Franchises.

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

Is Buying an Existing Turlock Business a Good Strategy?

We've created a useful website page for those who want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Turlock.

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

Selecting a Name For Your Startup

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Turlock, it's very important that you make sure no California company has already registered the company name you have selected.

Company Formation in Turlock, California

It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will select one of many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in California, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in California. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Incorporation Advice. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Turlock, California, our web page covering Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

Successful entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in Turlock, California, you should check out some of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. Another way to keep up on your entrepreneurial education is to investigate Turlock networking organizations.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Turlock. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

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

We are here to help Turlock businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Turlock 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 Turlock, California

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

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