California Business Startup Guides
Opening a Business in Riverdale, California
Contemplating starting a business in Riverdale, California? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Riverdale.
Which Business to Choose?
An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read 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 Starting a Popcorn & Popcorn Supplies Business guide or our How to Start a Prosthetic Eyes Business guide.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Riverdale. Some businesses will do better in Riverdale than others. Don't forget to review Riverdale demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.
Riverdale, California Demographic Information
Riverdale has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Riverdale demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Riverdale.
Businesses
As a new Riverdale entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Riverdale 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 Franchising?
As you drive around Riverdale, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. Is there a franchise opportunity out there that makes sense for you?
We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising and Veterans. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Laund-UR-Mutt and Nursefinders. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Bakery Franchises and Moving Franchises.
Note on Riverdale Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Riverdale.
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.
Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.
Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Riverdale, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Forming a Company in Riverdale, California
It's essential that you form your business as a legal structure. Doing so will separate 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.
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 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 Pre-Incorporation Agreements. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Riverdale, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Raising Money for Your New Venture
Getting your Riverdale business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.
The good news is this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.
For Riverdale entrepreneurs on the hunt for startup funding, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
The Art of Selling
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Riverdale business, you need to focus on sales.
Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
The Art of Customer Referrals is worth reading, as it may give you some good ideas on how to sell your products or services. We have many more good articles on selling that you may enjoy reading.
Never Give Up
As an entrepreneur in Riverdale, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.
We are here to help Riverdale businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Riverdale, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Riverdale, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Riverdale.
- Resources for Riverdale, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Riverdale 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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