California Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Thousand Oaks, California

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

Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?

Most new companies fail, in part because the founder 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.

Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Thousand Oaks. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Thousand Oaks, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5553
5-9 Employees
1626
10-19 Employees
1140
20-49 Employees
693
50-99 Employees
285
100-249 Employees
144
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
9
All Thousand Oaks Businesses
9489

As a new Thousand Oaks entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Thousand 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
10
Art Dealers
4
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
9
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
19
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
6
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
6
Building Inspection Services
5
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
9
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
4
Caterers
2
Cemeteries and Crematories
3
Charter Bus Industry
2
Child and Youth Services
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
8
Civic and Social Organizations
3
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
5
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
2
Commodity Contracts Dealing
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
4
Computer Facilities Management Services
4
Computer Systems Design Services
30
Computer Training
2
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Card Issuing
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
30
Dental Laboratories
4
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
5
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
6
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Educational Support Services
2
Electrical Contractors
27
Electronic Shopping
6
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Employment Placement Agencies
9
Engineering Services
42
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
4
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
3
Family Clothing Stores
13
Fine Arts Schools
7
Finish Carpentry Contractors
7
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
13
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
7
Food Service Contractors
8
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
3
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Framing Contractors
10
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Full-Service Restaurants
89
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
16
General Automotive Repair
29
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
18
Glass and Glazing Contractors
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
14
Gypsum Product Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
4
Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Health Care Services
12
Homes for the Elderly
12
Household Appliance Stores
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
96
Interior Design Services
7
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
4
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
7
Investment Advice
25
Janitorial Services
16
Jewelry Stores
17
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
3
Landscape Architectural Services
5
Landscaping Services
40
Language Schools
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
64
Limousine Service
3
Locksmiths
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
5
Marketing Consulting Services
13
Meat Markets
1
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
6
Men's Clothing Stores
4
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
27
Motion Picture and Video Production
23
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
1
Music Publishers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
6
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
8
New Housing Operative Builders
1
News Dealers and Newsstands
1
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
8
Nursing Care Facilities
11
Office Administrative Services
20
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
7
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
56
Offices of Chiropractors
25
Offices of Dentists
69
Offices of Lawyers
84
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
1
One-Hour Photofinishing
3
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
7
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
17
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
4
Payroll Services
3
Periodical Publishers
5
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
9
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
16
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
12
Private Mail Centers
7
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
3
Public Relations Agencies
3
Quick Printing
4
Real Estate Credit
21
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Repossession Services
2
Residential Property Managers
16
Residential Remodelers
28
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
7
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
9
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
23
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
15
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
3
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
18
Software Publishers
13
Sporting Goods Stores
12
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Support Activities for Metal Mining
1
Tax Preparation Services
11
Telecommunications Resellers
3
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
19
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
6
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Tour Operators
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
3
Travel Agencies
6
Used Car Dealers
6
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Veterinary Services
13
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
26
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
24
Women's Clothing Stores
27

Forming a Company in Thousand Oaks, California

A critical step is ensuring 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 traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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 are allowed to incorporate wherever you want. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

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 Dissolving a Corporation. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Thousand Oaks, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

Don't Skip the Business Plan

Having a business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

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 free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Thousand Oaks business 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 raising capital, such as Microlending as a Small Business Funding Source.

For Thousand Oaks entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To grow your Thousand Oaks business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Advertising on Google discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

How to Sell

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

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Compensating Sales People is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.

Thousand Oaks Entrepreneur Interviews

Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Thousand Oaks entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Thousand Oaks and throughout the United States . We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Thousand Oaks, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Thousand Oaks, California

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

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Starting a Business in Three Rivers

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