California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Visalia, California

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

Visalia, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
8314
5-9 Employees
3562
10-19 Employees
2460
20-49 Employees
1734
50-99 Employees
612
100-249 Employees
342
250-499 Employees
30
500-999 Employees
24
1000+ Employees
6
All Visalia Businesses
17084

As a new Visalia entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Visalia 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
5
Ambulance Services
3
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
15
Art Dealers
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
2
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
21
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
5
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
21
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Beet Sugar Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
6
Books Printing
1
Bottled Water Manufacturing
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business and Secretarial Schools
1
Business Associations
12
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
4
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Car Washes
6
Caterers
5
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Charter Bus Industry
2
Child and Youth Services
9
Child Day Care Services
25
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
2
Civic and Social Organizations
10
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Collection Agencies
6
Commercial Lithographic Printing
5
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
4
Computer Training
3
Consumer Lending
4
Convenience Stores
8
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Cotton Ginning
3
Couriers
9
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
4
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
6
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
5
Display Advertising
2
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
11
Electrical Contractors
24
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
21
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
11
Family Clothing Stores
10
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
2
Farm Management Services
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
10
Fine Arts Schools
5
Finish Carpentry Contractors
7
Floor Covering Stores
10
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
11
Fluid Milk Manufacturing
1
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
7
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
3
Framing Contractors
5
Freight Transportation Arrangement
8
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Full-Service Restaurants
76
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
6
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
15
General Freight Trucking, Local
14
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
10
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
3
Graphic Design Services
5
Hardware Manufacturing
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
3
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
5
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
10
Household Appliance Stores
3
Human Rights Organizations
2
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
4
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
57
Interior Design Services
2
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
3
Investment Advice
11
Janitorial Services
15
Jewelry Stores
12
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
5
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
37
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
93
Limousine Service
2
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
2
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
3
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Marketing Consulting Services
3
Masonry Contractors
7
Meat Markets
3
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Stamping
2
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
3
Mobile Food Services
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
3
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
New Car Dealers
12
New Housing Operative Builders
7
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
6
Nursing Care Facilities
6
Office Administrative Services
10
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
34
Offices of Chiropractors
14
Offices of Dentists
66
Offices of Lawyers
63
Offices of Optometrists
10
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
6
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
9
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
5
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
19
Photography Studios, Portrait
9
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
2
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
6
Radio Stations
4
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
22
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
10
Residential Remodelers
14
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
1
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
2
Savings Institutions
4
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
9
Security Guards and Patrol Services
7
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
15
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
9
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
19
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
2
Spring (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing
1
Steel Wire Drawing
1
Tax Preparation Services
6
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
3
Television Broadcasting
2
Temporary Help Services
17
Temporary Shelters
3
Testing Laboratories
2
Thread Mills
1
Tire Dealers
11
Tobacco Stores
3
Tortilla Manufacturing
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
7
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Merchandise Stores
5
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
10
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
13
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
23
Window Treatment Stores
5
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
3
Women's Clothing Stores
15
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

As you drive around Visalia, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchise Marketing Support. 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 Quik Internet and Breadsmith. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Franchises and Kitchen Design Franchises.

Note on Visalia Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Visalia, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Visalia Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Visalia.

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

Naming the Company

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

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

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Visalia, it's very important that you make sure 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 critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Find Sample Business Plans Online. You can also get free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in California.

Letting the World Know You Exist

Whether your goal is to attract Visalia customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Internet Advertising is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

The best business owners recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.

Given that you are starting a business in Visalia, California, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. We also suggest you look into networking organizations for Visalia entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

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

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Visalia and throughout the United States . 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 Visalia, California

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

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Starting a Business in Vista

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