California Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Fresno, California
Are you starting a business in Fresno, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Fresno.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?
Most new companies fail, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you open a business, 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.
- Speak with other entrepreneurs in Fresno. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
- You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
- Talk it over with a close friend or partner. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.
What Type of Business Should You Start?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Finding Your Niche in Life.
If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Auto & Truck Wrecking Business guide or our How to Start a Women's Crisis Intervention Services Business guide.
Always keep in mind that starting a business in Fresno has some implications. Think about what needs are currently being underserved in Fresno. Study Fresno demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Fresno, California Demographic Information
Fresno has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Fresno demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Fresno.
Businesses
As a new Fresno entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fresno 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
Should You Franchise?
Visit the business district of Fresno and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. Should you be giving franchising serious consideration?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as How Franchises Work. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Restyle and Disaster Kleenup. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Children's Franchises and Pest Control Franchises.
Note on Fresno Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Fresno.
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.
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: Naming a Business.
On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Fresno, it's imperative that you check now that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Marketing Your New Company
To grow your Fresno business, you need a excellent marketing plan.
We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Media Kits discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just one of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.
Interviews With Fresno Entrepreneurs
Here, we'll keep a running list of interviews we've had with Fresno entrepreneurs.
Moving Forward
Most new Fresno businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Fresno and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Fresno 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 Fresno, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Fresno.
- Resources for Fresno, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Fresno 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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