California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Claremont, California

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most startup ventures don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Claremont. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • You should read Business Failure. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Claremont, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
9751
5-9 Employees
3374
10-19 Employees
1932
20-49 Employees
1281
50-99 Employees
609
100-249 Employees
231
250-499 Employees
126
500-999 Employees
42
1000+ Employees
21
All Claremont Businesses
17367

As a new Claremont entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Claremont 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
Architectural Services
5
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
14
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
1
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
9
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
8
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Dance Companies
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
10
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
9
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
3
Finish Carpentry Contractors
4
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
5
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
36
General Automotive Repair
1
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
7
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
8
Homes for the Elderly
10
Household Appliance Stores
1
Industrial Building Construction
2
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
19
Janitorial Services
3
Jewelry Stores
7
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
17
Logging
1
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
4
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Administrative Services
9
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
26
Offices of Lawyers
49
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
6
Political Organizations
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
2
Real Estate Credit
4
Record Production
1
Residential Property Managers
8
Residential Remodelers
6
Savings Institutions
3
Securities Brokerage
7
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Software Publishers
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
4
Telephone Answering Services
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
3
Used Car Dealers
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1
Women's Clothing Stores
3

What About Buying an Existing Claremont 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 Claremont.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.

Selecting a Name For Your Startup

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Claremont, it's imperative that you check now that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Indeed, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

How to Sell

Mastering the art of selling is priority one if you want your new Claremont business to do well.

So what does it take to bring in more prospects and close more business? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Moving Forward

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

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 Claremont and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Claremont 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 Claremont, California

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

More Startup Articles for California Cities

Starting a Business in Chula Vista
Starting a Business in Clayton

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

 

 

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