California Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Berkeley, California
Thinking about starting a business in Berkeley, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Berkeley.
Berkeley, California Demographic Information
Berkeley has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Berkeley demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Berkeley.
Businesses
As a new Berkeley entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Berkeley 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.
Businesses
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Berkeley Business?
An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Berkeley.
If you are serious about buying a business, you may want to read this article: Buying a Business.
Naming the Business
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.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.
On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Berkeley, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Berkeley, California
It's very important that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Getting an EIN. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Berkeley, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
Having a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan is a written description of the future you envision for your business. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.
If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Presentations. You should also take advantage of free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in California.
How to Sell
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Berkeley business, you need to focus on sales.
Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.
Effective Sales Presentations offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
What's Next?
As an entrepreneur in Berkeley, 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 Berkeley businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Berkeley 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 Berkeley, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Berkeley.
- Resources for Berkeley, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Berkeley entrepreneurs.
- California Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in California.
- Fresno, California Small Business Development Center - The UC Merced SBDC Regional Network assists Central California entrepreneurs and small business owners through counseling, training and business information.
- Los Angeles, California Small Business Development Center - The Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network (LA SBDC Network) is part of the national, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) effort to provide free one-on-one customized consulting services and low-cost training workshops to growing businesses and start-up businesses.
- Sacramento, California Small Business Development Center - As Northern California continues to grow demographically and economically, the Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (NECSBDC) at CSU, Chico is committed to helping communities prepare and plan for future growth.
- San Diego, California Small Business Development Center - The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwestern College serves entrepreneurs and small businesses in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The SBDC provides no-cost business assistance to start-up & existing businesses.
- San Francisco, California Small Business Development Center - The Northern California Network of Small Business Development Centers helps individuals start, manage and grow their businesses.
- Orange County Small Business Development Center - The Orange County SBDC is a leader in providing consulting, training, and technical assistance to the small business community.
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