California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Ridgecrest, California

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Ridgecrest. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Ridgecrest, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2310
5-9 Employees
1026
10-19 Employees
675
20-49 Employees
333
50-99 Employees
144
100-249 Employees
63
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ridgecrest Businesses
4569

As a new Ridgecrest entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ridgecrest 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
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
6
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
8
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Business Associations
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Car Washes
1
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
4
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Convenience Stores
6
Couriers
2
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
5
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Engineering Services
23
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Facilities Support Services
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
4
Floor Covering Stores
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Framing Contractors
3
Full-Service Restaurants
20
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
3
General Automotive Repair
8
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hardware Stores
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
1
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
3
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
6
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Janitorial Services
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
2
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
4
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
20
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Meat Markets
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
1
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Nail Salons
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
3
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
2
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
14
Offices of Optometrists
4
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
2
Paging
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Political Organizations
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
2
Roofing Contractors
3
Securities Brokerage
2
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Shoe Stores
3
Site Preparation Contractors
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Tax Preparation Services
3
Temporary Help Services
2
Tire Dealers
4
Travel Agencies
3
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Ridgecrest, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Get More Franchisees. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

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

Sample franchise opportunities include Fuzziwig's Candy Factory and Glass Doctor. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.

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

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.

Company names need to be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

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

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

Raising Funding for Your Startup

Getting your Ridgecrest business the capital it needs to succeed is a difficult chore. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Ridgecrest entrepreneurs who need startup capital, we have assembled a List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Startup

To grow your Ridgecrest business, you need a solid marketing plan.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Advertising on Buses is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ridgecrest 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. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

The Art of Customer Referrals is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Ridgecrest. 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.

We are here to help Ridgecrest businesses to be successful. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Ridgecrest, California

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

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