California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Palmdale, California

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most new businesses don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before jumping into the world of entrepreneurship, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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 Palmdale. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Palmdale, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2465
5-9 Employees
893
10-19 Employees
660
20-49 Employees
507
50-99 Employees
111
100-249 Employees
87
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
6
All Palmdale Businesses
4744

As a new Palmdale entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Palmdale 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 Traffic Control
1
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
2
Art Dealers
2
Automobile Driving Schools
5
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
12
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
7
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
3
Child Day Care Services
32
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commercial Photography
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
7
Computer Training
2
Consumer Lending
4
Convenience Stores
2
Couriers
4
Credit Unions
1
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
7
Dental Laboratories
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
4
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
24
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Engineering Services
11
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
11
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
2
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
5
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Full-Service Restaurants
53
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
23
General Freight Trucking, Local
9
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Graphic Design Services
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
6
Homes for the Elderly
3
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
26
Interior Design Services
1
Investment Advice
4
Janitorial Services
18
Jewelry Stores
17
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
3
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
19
Limited-Service Restaurants
75
Limousine Service
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
5
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
7
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Metal Can Manufacturing
1
Metal Heat Treating
1
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
7
Motor and Generator Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
Nail Salons
6
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Dentists
38
Offices of Lawyers
13
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Optical Goods Stores
5
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
6
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
5
Payroll Services
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
5
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
9
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
3
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
10
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
11
Retail Bakeries
2
Savings Institutions
7
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
5
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
12
Sign Manufacturing
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
16
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
6
Tax Preparation Services
8
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
2
Tire Dealers
6
Tobacco Stores
6
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
9
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
9

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Palmdale, it becomes clear that purchasing a franchise is a common way to get started as an entrepreneur. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Protecting Your Franchise Territory. 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 Silver Mine Subs and Coustic-Glo International. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Hotel and Motel Franchises and Kitchen Design Franchises.

Note on Palmdale Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Palmdale.

Naming the Company

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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Palmdale, it's imperative that you check now that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Raising Funding for Your Company

Getting your Palmdale business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

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

For Palmdale 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.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Palmdale, California, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local California educational institutions. It's also worthwhile to see if there are any Palmdale networking organizations.

Next Steps

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Palmdale and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Palmdale 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 Palmdale, California

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Palm Springs
Starting a Business in Palo Alto

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

 

 

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Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

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