California Business Startup Guides
Starting a Business in Sausalito, California
Thinking about starting a business in Sausalito, California? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Sausalito.
What Business Are You Starting?
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.
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 Opening an Auto Recycling & Dismantling Business guide or our Opening a Men's Organizations Business guide.
Don't forget that your new business will be in Sausalito. If Sausalito already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Sausalito demographics mesh well with your startup concept.
Sausalito, California Demographic Information
Sausalito has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Sausalito demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Sausalito.
Businesses
As a new Sausalito entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Sausalito 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 Buying an Existing Sausalito Business a Good Strategy?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in California. Follow that link and you can review several good businesses for sale in Sausalito.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Choosing 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: Naming a Business.
As a final piece of advice, remember that because you are planning on starting a business in Sausalito, it's critical that you ensure that no other California company is using the business name you want to use.
Company Formation in Sausalito, 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 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. Just because you are starting a business in California, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in California. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Sausalito, California, our information on Incorporating in California may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in California.
Don't Forget to Create a Business Plan
A business plan is essential in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Indeed, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Failure to write a business plan is a recipe for disaster.
To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. You should also take advantage of free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in California.
Where to Get Money to Start a Company
Getting your Sausalito 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.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Borrowing Money from Friends and Family.
For Sausalito entrepreneurs who need startup capital, check out our List of California Angel Investors and our List of California Venture Capital Firms.
Now It's Up To You
As an entrepreneur in Sausalito, 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.
Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Sausalito and throughout the United States . We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Sausalito, California
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Sausalito.
- Resources for Sausalito, California Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Sausalito 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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