California Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Ukiah, California

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

What Business to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Good 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 How to Start a Clothing & Accessories Brokers Business guide or our How to Start a Stencils & Stenciling Supplies Business guide.

Don't forget that you are starting a business in Ukiah. Some businesses will do better in Ukiah than others. A critical consideration is whether Ukiah demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Ukiah, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
3280
5-9 Employees
1386
10-19 Employees
732
20-49 Employees
594
50-99 Employees
162
100-249 Employees
30
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Ukiah Businesses
6196

As a new Ukiah entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Ukiah 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
Architectural Services
2
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
2
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Baked Goods Stores
3
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
2
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Breweries
1
Business Associations
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
1
Caterers
2
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
14
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
2
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
2
Convenience Stores
5
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
3
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
2
Couriers
2
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Document Preparation Services
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
5
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
3
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
8
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
1
Framing Contractors
1
Full-Service Restaurants
30
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
18
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
4
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Hat, Cap, and Millinery Manufacturing
1
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
2
Home Health Equipment Rental
1
Homes for the Elderly
4
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
19
Interior Design Services
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
4
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
10
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
26
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Machine Shops
2
Malt Manufacturing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marketing Consulting Services
2
Masonry Contractors
3
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
2
New Car Dealers
6
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Office Administrative Services
1
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
8
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
21
Offices of Lawyers
32
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
One-Hour Photofinishing
1
Optical Goods Stores
3
Outerwear Knitting Mills
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
1
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
8
Passenger Car Rental
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Quick Printing
2
Radio Networks
1
Radio Stations
1
Real Estate Credit
2
Residential Property Managers
3
Residential Remodelers
10
Roofing Contractors
4
Sawmills
2
Securities Brokerage
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Shoe Stores
3
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Support Activities for Forestry
1
Tax Preparation Services
7
Taxi Service
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
1
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
4
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
3
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Vending Machine Operators
2
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Voluntary Health Organizations
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
5
Wood Preservation
2
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Should You Franchise?

Examine a list of Ukiah businesses and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?

Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. On our site, you can read many articles about franchising, such as Benefits of Owning A Franchise. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include Petland and P.B. Loco Peanutbutterlicious Cafes. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Training and Education Franchises and IT Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Ukiah Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Ukiah.

If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: How to Buy a Business.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Ukiah business 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.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Bank Credit Lines.

For Ukiah entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, we have assembled a List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Bring in Revenues

Being able to sell is fundamental to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Ukiah or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Effective Sales Presentations is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Good entrepreneurs know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

With your business being located in Ukiah, California, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. We also recommend you look into networking groups or organizations in which Ukiah entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

What's Next?

You have a dream -- starting a business in Ukiah. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California

Starting a Business in Twentynine Palms
Starting a Business in Upland

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

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