California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Lompoc, California

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Being an entrepreneur is difficult, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you have the stamina and skills to succeed on your own?

To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Lompoc. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Peruse Why Small Businesses Fail. This is one of our more popular articles for folks who want to go into business for themselves.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Lompoc, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1111
5-9 Employees
504
10-19 Employees
357
20-49 Employees
237
50-99 Employees
60
100-249 Employees
9
250-499 Employees
9
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
0
All Lompoc Businesses
2290

As a new Lompoc entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lompoc 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
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
9
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Barber Shops
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
7
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Business Associations
2
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Car Washes
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
15
Civic and Social Organizations
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
2
Community Food Services
1
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Convenience Stores
3
Credit Unions
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
1
Discount Department Stores
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
4
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
3
Electrical Contractors
10
Elementary and Secondary Schools
6
Engineering Services
7
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
1
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
2
Floor Covering Stores
4
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
2
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
6
General Freight Trucking, Local
2
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Centers
3
Home Health Care Services
2
Homes for the Elderly
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
15
Investment Advice
2
Janitorial Services
5
Jewelry Stores
3
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
13
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
35
Limousine Service
1
Machine Shops
2
Masonry Contractors
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
Natural Gas Distribution
2
New Car Dealers
7
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
3
Offices of Chiropractors
4
Offices of Dentists
19
Offices of Lawyers
6
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
1
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Property Managers
6
Residential Remodelers
7
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
4
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Shoe Stores
2
Siding Contractors
2
Site Preparation Contractors
2
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
7
Software Publishers
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Temporary Help Services
1
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
3
Tire Dealers
3
Tortilla Manufacturing
1
Travel Agencies
1
Used Car Dealers
1
Used Merchandise Stores
3
Vending Machine Operators
1
Veterinary Services
5
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
1
Wineries
1
Women's Clothing Stores
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Lompoc Business?

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

If you are going to be buying a business, you may want to read this article: Hold Harmless Agreements When Buying Businesses.

Picking a Company Name

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.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Branding Advice.

As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Lompoc, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Lompoc, California

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. 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 can incorporate in the state of your choosing. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Lompoc, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Lompoc customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

You can learn plenty about marketing on our site. Marketing Research is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Moving Forward

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Lompoc and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lompoc 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 Lompoc, California

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

More Startup Articles for California Cities

Starting a Business in Lodi
Starting a Business in Long Beach

Browse All Business Startup Guides for California
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary