California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Napa, California

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

What Business 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 Starting a Baseball Instruction Business guide or our Starting an Industrial Lift Dealers Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new business will be in Napa. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Napa. Only by spending some time analyzing Napa demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

Napa, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4315
5-9 Employees
1623
10-19 Employees
1113
20-49 Employees
723
50-99 Employees
237
100-249 Employees
102
250-499 Employees
21
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
9
All Napa Businesses
8146

As a new Napa entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Napa 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
Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
9
Art Dealers
1
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Manufacturing
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
8
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
17
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
5
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
2
Building Inspection Services
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
4
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
2
Caterers
6
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
23
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Claims Adjusting
3
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Bakeries
3
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
6
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Systems Design Services
12
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
2
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convenience Stores
9
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
1
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
5
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
8
Dental Laboratories
6
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
4
Discount Department Stores
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
18
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
32
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
12
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
23
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
5
Family Clothing Stores
15
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
4
Farm Management Services
5
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
15
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
15
Flight Training
2
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
12
Florists
6
Food Service Contractors
6
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
6
Freight Transportation Arrangement
1
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Full-Service Restaurants
79
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
11
General Automotive Repair
40
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
12
Glass and Glazing Contractors
4
Grantmaking Foundations
4
Graphic Design Services
8
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
5
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
13
Household Appliance Stores
3
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
39
Interior Design Services
5
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
5
Investment Advice
5
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Jewelry Stores
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Land Subdivision
7
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
52
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
11
Libraries and Archives
1
Limousine Service
6
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
1
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Machine Shops
4
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marinas
3
Marketing Consulting Services
6
Masonry Contractors
8
Meat Markets
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
2
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
6
Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
5
Motor Vehicle Towing
6
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
3
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Nail Salons
3
New Car Dealers
7
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Machinery Manufacturing
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
16
Offices of Chiropractors
12
Offices of Dentists
59
Offices of Lawyers
41
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
13
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging and Labeling Services
4
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
5
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
30
Passenger Car Rental
2
Payroll Services
3
Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing
1
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
9
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
8
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
4
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
2
Quick Printing
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
13
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Goods Rental
3
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
4
Residential Remodelers
48
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
19
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
5
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
1
Securities Brokerage
15
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
13
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
17
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Soft Drink Manufacturing
2
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sporting Goods Stores
15
Tax Preparation Services
10
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
10
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
13
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Tour Operators
1
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
10
Veterinary Services
11
Video Tape and Disc Rental
7
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
5
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wineries
78
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
9
Women's Clothing Stores
10
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Should You Franchise?

Visit the business district of Napa and you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Franchise Due Diligence. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include TruGreen - Chemlawn and Maid to Sparkle Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Home Repair Franchises and Miscellaneous Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Napa Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Napa.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Naming the Company

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.

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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are opening a business in Napa, it's very important that you make sure no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Napa business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Attracting Investors.

For Napa entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Napa or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. 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.

Next Steps

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

Starting a Business in Mountain View
Starting a Business in National City

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

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary