California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Portola, California

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

Will You Be a Good Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneurial life is hard work, much more arduous than working as an employee. Are you positive you want to start a business?

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

  • Reach out to other entrepreneurs in Portola. They are usually very willing to share their insights on the ups and downs of being 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. Others sometimes know you better than you know yourself.

Portola, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
272
5-9 Employees
72
10-19 Employees
45
20-49 Employees
9
50-99 Employees
0
100-249 Employees
0
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
0
1000+ Employees
0
All Portola Businesses
401

As a new Portola entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Portola 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
Baked Goods Stores
1
Beauty Salons
1
Book Stores
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Caterers
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
2
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Flooring Contractors
1
Florists
1
Full-Service Restaurants
5
General Automotive Repair
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
2
Internet Service Providers
1
Landscaping Services
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
1
Logging
1
Meat Markets
1
Media Representatives
1
Museums
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
2
Offices of Lawyers
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Professional Organizations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Residential Remodelers
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
1
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Browse the Yellow Pages for Portola and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. So, it probably makes sense for you to consider franchising too.

Our recommendation is that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include NYPD Pizza and Borvin Beverage. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Employment and Staffing Franchises and Auto Repair Franchises.

Note on Portola Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Portola, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Portola Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Portola.

Before buying a business, be sure 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.

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.

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 planning on starting a business in Portola, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.

Forming a Company in Portola, California

It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

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, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in California. In fact, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as C Corp Versus S Corp. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Portola, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.

Marketing Your New Company

To rise above the crowd in Portola and build your business, you need a great marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Media Kits is an article that will stimulate 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.

What's Next?

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

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

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

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

More Business Startup Guides for California

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Starting a Business in Poway

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