California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Mission Viejo, California

Contemplating starting a business in Mission Viejo, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Mission Viejo.

Are You Ready for Entrepreneurship?

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

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Mission Viejo. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

For step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Decorative Metal Welding Business guide or our Starting a Motorcycle Transport Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Mission Viejo. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Mission Viejo. Only by spending some time analyzing Mission Viejo demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Mission Viejo, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4446
5-9 Employees
1284
10-19 Employees
924
20-49 Employees
534
50-99 Employees
201
100-249 Employees
69
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
3
All Mission Viejo Businesses
7476

As a new Mission Viejo entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Mission Viejo 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
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
3
Architectural Services
3
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
5
Automotive Transmission Repair
6
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
29
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
4
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
5
Business Associations
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
4
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
6
Caterers
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
12
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
7
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
4
Collection Agencies
2
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
7
Computer Systems Design Services
25
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
39
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
11
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
3
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
6
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Document Preparation Services
4
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
4
Electrical Contractors
20
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
6
Employment Placement Agencies
5
Engineering Services
21
Environmental Consulting Services
9
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
6
Family Clothing Stores
15
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
13
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
12
Floor Covering Stores
4
Florists
6
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
4
Food Service Contractors
4
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
6
General Automotive Repair
47
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
9
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
10
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
5
Homes for the Elderly
32
Household Appliance Stores
1
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
50
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
3
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
13
Janitorial Services
10
Jewelry Stores
15
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
6
Landscaping Services
26
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
2
Limited-Service Restaurants
69
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
3
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
3
Marketing Consulting Services
22
Masonry Contractors
9
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
28
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
13
New Car Dealers
8
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
9
Nursing Care Facilities
2
Office Administrative Services
18
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
13
Offices of Chiropractors
18
Offices of Dentists
69
Offices of Lawyers
32
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
11
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
6
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
4
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Parking Lots and Garages
3
Passenger Car Rental
5
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Petroleum Refineries
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Political Organizations
3
Portfolio Management
9
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Prepress Services
1
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
5
Quick Printing
3
Real Estate Credit
42
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Remodelers
21
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
11
Sales Financing
4
Savings Institutions
11
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
10
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
10
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
25
Software Publishers
5
Software Reproducing
1
Sports and Recreation Instruction
8
Tax Preparation Services
10
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing
1
Temporary Help Services
6
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
32
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Women's Clothing Stores
21

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical to the health of your new business. Indeed, 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.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read The Art of the Executive Summary. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Capital for Your Venture

Raising money to fund your new Mission Viejo business requires strong organization skills and perseverance. Bootstrapping, which means growing the business without outside funding, is the best alternative, but that's not a viable option for many startup plans.

The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Mission Viejo entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

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

We have some helpful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Technology Marketing is a good read to get your marketing ideas flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Learning More About Entrepreneurship

The best business owners know that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Mission Viejo, California, you should investigate some of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. You should also check if there are any networking organizations for Mission Viejo entrepreneurs.

Never Give Up

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

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Mission Viejo and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Mission Viejo 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 Mission Viejo, California

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

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