California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Fort Bragg, California

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

Do You Have Entrepreneurial Drive and Passion?

Being an entrepreneur is hard work, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you positive you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Fort Bragg. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Fort Bragg, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1970
5-9 Employees
594
10-19 Employees
390
20-49 Employees
180
50-99 Employees
36
100-249 Employees
30
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Fort Bragg Businesses
3206

As a new Fort Bragg entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fort Bragg 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
3
Art Dealers
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Beauty Salons
1
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Boat Building
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Breweries
1
Business Associations
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Display Advertising
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electronic Shopping
1
Engineering Services
2
Finfish Fishing
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
3
Floor Covering Stores
3
Florists
1
Framing Contractors
1
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Full-Service Restaurants
30
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
10
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
6
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Internet Service Providers
1
Janitorial Services
5
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
2
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
6
Limited-Service Restaurants
9
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
4
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Media Representatives
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
5
Offices of Chiropractors
2
Offices of Dentists
12
Offices of Lawyers
7
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Passenger Car Rental
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
2
Residential Remodelers
4
Roofing Contractors
3
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shellfish Fishing
3
Shoe Stores
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
5
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Tax Preparation Services
3
Temporary Shelters
1
Textile Machinery Manufacturing
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire Dealers
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Examine a list of Fort Bragg businesses and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchisees Versus Licensees. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Representative franchise opportunities include White Castle International Company and Always Best Care Senior Services. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dry Cleaning & Laundry Franchises and Kid Friendly Franchises.

Note on Fort Bragg Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Fort Bragg, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Choosing a Company Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are starting a business in Fort Bragg, it's critical that you ensure that your company name has not already been claimed by another California business.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is critical to the health of your new business. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read Expert Advice on Business Plans. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.

Getting the Word Out About Your New Business

To grow your Fort Bragg business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Avoiding Bad Product Launches is an article that will stimulate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Now It's Up To You

As an entrepreneur in Fort Bragg, 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.

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

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

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