California Business Startup Guides
Start a Business in Monterey, California
Are you starting a business in Monterey, California? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Monterey.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Monterey. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
What Business to Start
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. You might get some good ideas about what kind of business to start by reading Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start an Aircraft Radio Equipment Business guide or our Starting a Chiropractic School guide.
Don't forget that your new business will be in Monterey. Some businesses will do better in Monterey than others. Only by spending some time analyzing Monterey demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Monterey, California Demographic Information
Monterey has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Monterey demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Monterey.
Businesses
As a new Monterey entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Monterey 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
Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?
As you drive around Monterey, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying a Franchise. 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 Arizona Pizza Company and In Home Pet Services. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Asian Restaurant Franchises and Environmental Testing Franchises.
Note on Monterey Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Monterey, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Choosing a Company Name
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.
For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Branding Advice.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Monterey, it's very important that you make sure no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Monterey business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Borrowing Money from Friends and Family.
For Monterey entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, browse our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
Ramping Up Sales
Being able to sell is critical to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Monterey or are selling to customers throughout California, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.
The key to selling is to set sales goals goals and monitor your progress towards those goals. The good news is we can help you to make selling a big competitve advantage for your new firm.
Landing Big Customers is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.
Some Interesting Monterey Entrepreneurs
We're compiling a number of interviews with Monterey entrepreneurs. Enjoy!
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Monterey. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Monterey and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Monterey 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 Monterey, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Monterey.
- Resources for Monterey, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Monterey 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.
Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in California
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Starting a Business in Monterey Park
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