California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Sherman Oaks, California

Need help starting a business in Sherman Oaks, California? We've got the information you need to open a business in Sherman Oaks.

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 Free Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Sherman Oaks. Some businesses will do better in Sherman Oaks than others. Study Sherman Oaks demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Sherman Oaks, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
6957
5-9 Employees
1317
10-19 Employees
854
20-49 Employees
582
50-99 Employees
198
100-249 Employees
75
250-499 Employees
24
500-999 Employees
6
1000+ Employees
6
All Sherman Oaks Businesses
10019

As a new Sherman Oaks entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Sherman Oaks 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
11
Amusement Arcades
3
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
13
Art Dealers
5
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Baked Goods Stores
4
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
29
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Blood and Organ Banks
2
Book Publishers
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
2
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
4
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
6
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
6
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Collection Agencies
2
Commercial Photography
5
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
14
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
4
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
22
Dental Laboratories
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
6
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Document Preparation Services
7
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Educational Support Services
6
Electrical Contractors
15
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Shopping
6
Employment Placement Agencies
16
Engineering Services
9
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
12
Family Planning Centers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
19
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
7
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
81
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
17
General Automotive Repair
13
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
11
Graphic Design Services
14
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
7
Homes for the Elderly
4
Human Rights Organizations
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
58
Interior Design Services
10
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
7
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
23
Jewelry Stores
15
Junior Colleges
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
6
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Libraries and Archives
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
58
Limousine Service
6
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
4
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Mail-Order Houses
2
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
30
Meat Markets
1
Media Buying Agencies
2
Media Representatives
4
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Miscellaneous Intermediation
5
Mixed Mode Transit Systems
1
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
19
Motion Picture and Video Distribution
5
Motion Picture and Video Production
131
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Museums
1
Musical Groups and Artists
53
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
Nail Salons
14
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
4
News Dealers and Newsstands
3
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
10
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
13
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
88
Offices of Dentists
50
Offices of Lawyers
134
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
7
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
5
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
10
Parking Lots and Garages
22
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
2
Periodical Publishers
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
10
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Portfolio Management
3
Private Mail Centers
4
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
15
Quick Printing
2
Radio Networks
3
Radio Stations
57
Real Estate Credit
21
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Remediation Services
1
Residential Property Managers
30
Residential Remodelers
20
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
2
Sales Financing
6
Securities Brokerage
10
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Shoe Stores
17
Siding Contractors
1
Sign Manufacturing
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
19
Software Publishers
2
Sporting Goods Stores
4
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Tax Preparation Services
14
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
2
Temporary Help Services
9
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
6
Translation and Interpretation Services
2
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
3
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Veterinary Services
6
Video Tape and Disc Rental
5
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Voluntary Health Organizations
5
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
11
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
10
Women's Clothing Stores
25
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Forming a Company in Sherman Oaks, California

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will protect you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in California, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in California. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Sherman Oaks, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

Before you start writing a business plan, we suggest you skim Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in California.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Sherman Oaks business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. In fact, financing your new business may be the hardest challenge you ever face.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Attracting Investors.

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

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Sherman Oaks, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

More Startup Articles for California Cities

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Starting a Business in Shingletown

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

 

 

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