California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in San Leandro, California

Are you starting a business in San Leandro, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in San Leandro.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

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 Project Management Business guide or our Starting a Used & Rebuilt Motorcycle & Motor Scooter Parts Business guide.

Remember that starting a business in San Leandro has some implications. If San Leandro already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Only by spending some time analyzing San Leandro demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.

San Leandro, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3778
5-9 Employees
1484
10-19 Employees
1170
20-49 Employees
807
50-99 Employees
327
100-249 Employees
216
250-499 Employees
45
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
9
All San Leandro Businesses
7845

As a new San Leandro entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in San Leandro 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
Advertising Agencies
2
Aluminum Die-Casting Foundries
1
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
2
Ambulance Services
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
1
Apprenticeship Training
1
Armored Car Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
4
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
12
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Boat Building
1
Book Stores
2
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
4
Canvas and Related Product Mills
3
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
13
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
7
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
14
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
5
Computer Training
3
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Convenience Stores
16
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Couriers
7
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
8
Custom Computer Programming Services
16
Dental Laboratories
6
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Display Advertising
3
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing
1
Drafting Services
1
Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
17
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
5
Educational Support Services
3
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
13
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
12
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
9
Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
12
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
6
Florists
6
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
5
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
4
Framing Contractors
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
70
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
12
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
42
General Freight Trucking, Local
22
General Warehousing and Storage
11
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
8
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Grantmaking Foundations
3
Graphic Design Services
2
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
6
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
2
Home Health Care Services
7
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
8
Household Appliance Stores
6
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Gas Manufacturing
1
Industrial Launderers
2
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
8
Iron Foundries
2
Janitorial Services
11
Jewelry Stores
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
13
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
8
Limited-Service Restaurants
75
Limousine Service
2
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
14
Mail-Order Houses
3
Marketing Consulting Services
4
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
5
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Processed from Carcasses
4
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Metal Heat Treating
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
14
Narrow Fabric Mills
1
New Housing Operative Builders
5
Newspaper Publishers
4
Nonresidential Property Managers
5
Nursing Care Facilities
9
Office Administrative Services
4
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
6
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
4
Offices of Chiropractors
15
Offices of Dentists
70
Offices of Lawyers
23
Offices of Optometrists
12
Offices of Other Holding Companies
4
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
2
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
3
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
11
Paper Industry Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paperboard Mills
1
Passenger Car Rental
10
Periodical Publishers
3
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Poultry Processing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Printing Ink Manufacturing
3
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
1
Quick Printing
7
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
30
Remediation Services
4
Residential Property Managers
14
Residential Remodelers
28
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
9
Sales Financing
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
7
Security Guards and Patrol Services
5
Setup Paperboard Box Manufacturing
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
17
Sign Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
27
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
5
Solid Waste Collection
1
Special Needs Transportation
1
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
2
Steel Investment Foundries
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
5
Testing Laboratories
4
Textile Bag Mills
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
6
Tire Dealers
6
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
4
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
2
Travel Agencies
7
Used Car Dealers
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
11
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
19
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
9
Women's Clothing Stores
8
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
2

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around San Leandro, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Is it perhaps smarter to franchise a business instead of doing it from scratch.

Most business experts recommend that you investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Common Franchisee Mistakes. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Representative franchise opportunities include Dent Doctor and AllOver Media. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Child Care Franchises and Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises.

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

Should You Buy an Existing San Leandro Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in San Leandro.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Choosing a Business Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

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.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in San Leandro, it's imperative that you check now that you will be the only California company using the business name you have chosen.

Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan

A business plan is vital to the health of your new business. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Find Sample Business Plans Online. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.

The Art of Selling

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new San Leandro business to do well.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Cold Call Selling is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Now It's Up To You

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help San Leandro businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in San Leandro, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in San Leandro, California

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in San Jose
Starting a Business in San Luis Obispo

Browse All Business Startup Guides for California
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