California Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in West Sacramento, California

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much harder than working as an employee. Are you positive you are ready to take on this challenge?

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in West Sacramento. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

West Sacramento, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1306
5-9 Employees
573
10-19 Employees
474
20-49 Employees
411
50-99 Employees
153
100-249 Employees
105
250-499 Employees
36
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
3
All West Sacramento Businesses
3070

As a new West Sacramento entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in West Sacramento 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
Ambulance Services
2
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
13
Beauty Salons
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
2
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
2
Books Printing
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
6
Car Washes
2
Caterers
2
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
10
Civic and Social Organizations
2
Claims Adjusting
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
6
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
3
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Digital Printing
1
Direct Mail Advertising
2
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
1
Display Advertising
1
Document Preparation Services
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
6
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
7
Environmental Consulting Services
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
1
Farm Product Warehousing and Storage
2
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Flooring Contractors
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
1
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
22
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
22
General Freight Trucking, Local
11
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
6
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
2
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Hardware Stores
3
Hazardous Waste Collection
1
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
3
Industrial Launderers
2
International Trade Financing
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Investigation Services
1
Janitorial Services
8
Jewelry Stores
1
Land Subdivision
1
Landscaping Services
9
Limited-Service Restaurants
36
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
6
Machine Shops
6
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
3
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
3
Medical Laboratories
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Miscellaneous Intermediation
3
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
6
Motorcycle Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
3
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Dentists
11
Offices of Lawyers
10
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Paper (except Newsprint) Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
2
Passenger Car Rental
1
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
5
Phosphatic Fertilizer Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
1
Printing Ink Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
2
Real Estate Credit
7
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
6
Retail Bakeries
1
Rice Milling
1
Roofing Contractors
3
Sales Financing
3
Savings Institutions
5
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
3
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
1
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
8
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Soft Drink Manufacturing
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
1
Telecommunications Resellers
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Temporary Shelters
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
2
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
2
Tradebinding and Related Work
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1
Veterinary Services
3
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
6
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
2

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around West Sacramento, it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as How to Franchise. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include The Cleaning Authority and American Town Mailer. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Fast Food Franchises and Pizza Franchises.

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

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in California.

Raising Money for Your New Venture

Getting your West Sacramento business the capital it needs to succeed 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.

Recognizing this challenge, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Find Start-Up Capital.

For West Sacramento entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, browse our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.

Marketing Your New Venture

To rise above the crowd in West Sacramento and build your business, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your successs.

We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Seven Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. That's just a sampling of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Advancing Your Entrepreneurial Skills

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

As an entrepreneur who lives in West Sacramento, California, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby California universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any West Sacramento networking organizations.

What's Next?

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

We are here to help West Sacramento businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new West Sacramento 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 West Sacramento, California

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

More Startup Articles for California Cities

Starting a Business in West Point
Starting a Business in Westminster

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