California Business Startup Guides
Open a Business in Merced, California
Need help starting a business in Merced, California? We've got the information you need to open a business in Merced.
Choosing the Right Company to Start
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Finding Your Niche in Life.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening an Apartment Furnishings Retailer guide or our Opening a Sound Effects Business guide.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Merced. Some businesses will do better in Merced than others. A critical consideration is whether Merced demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Merced, California Demographic Information
Merced has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Merced demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Merced.
Businesses
As a new Merced entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Merced 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.
Businesses
Naming the Business
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.
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 Business.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Merced, it's imperative that you check now that your company name has not already been claimed by another California business.
Forming a Company in Merced, California
It's essential that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
When forming a company, you will choose from 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. If you are starting a business in California, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in California. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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 are many nuances to forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Offshore Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Merced, California, our web page covering Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Letting the World Know You Exist
To rise above the crowd in Merced and grow your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.
We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Search Engine Promotion discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.
The Art of Selling
Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Merced business to do well.
Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Sales Forecasting is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
The best entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Merced, California, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local California educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Merced networking organizations.
Moving Forward
Most new Merced businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
We are here to help Merced businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Merced 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 Merced, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Merced.
- Resources for Merced, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Merced entrepreneurs.
- California Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in California.
- Fresno, California Small Business Development Center - The UC Merced SBDC Regional Network assists Central California entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling, training and business information.
- Los Angeles, California Small Business Development Center - The Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network (LA SBDC Network) is part of the national, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) effort to provide free one-on-one customized consulting services and low-cost training workshops to growing businesses and start-up businesses.
- Sacramento, California Small Business Development Center - As Northern California continues to grow demographically and economically, the Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (NECSBDC) at CSU, Chico is committed to helping communities prepare and plan for future growth.
- San Diego, California Small Business Development Center - The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwestern College serves entrepreneurs and small businesses in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The SBDC provides no-cost business assistance to start-up & existing businesses.
- San Francisco, California Small Business Development Center - The Northern California Network of Small Business Development Centers helps individuals start, manage and grow their businesses.
- Orange County Small Business Development Center - The Orange County SBDC is a leader in providing consulting, training, and technical assistance to the small business community.
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