California Business Startup Guides

Open a Business in Shafter, California

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

Are You Ready for Life as an Owner?

Running your own business is difficult, much harder 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:

  • Speak with other entrepreneurs in Shafter. Listen closely to their experiences and see if you think you too can be successful.
  • You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Talk it over with a close friend or partner. Ask them directly: Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Listen carefully to their answer, as they presumably know your strengths and weaknesses.

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 step-by-step instructions on starting a variety of business types, visit the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Opening a Helicopter Tours Business guide or our How to Start a Music Store guide.

Don't forget that you are opening your new business in Shafter. If Shafter already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. A critical consideration is whether Shafter demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Shafter, California Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
249
5-9 Employees
114
10-19 Employees
87
20-49 Employees
60
50-99 Employees
12
100-249 Employees
6
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
0
All Shafter Businesses
534

As a new Shafter entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Shafter 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
Architectural Services
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
4
Automotive Transmission Repair
1
Caterers
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Concrete Pipe Manufacturing
1
Cotton Ginning
1
Display Advertising
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
2
Electrical Contractors
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
3
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
1
Florists
1
Full-Service Restaurants
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
5
Janitorial Services
2
Jewelry Stores
1
Landscaping Services
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
10
Marketing Consulting Services
1
Masonry Contractors
1
Museums
1
New Car Dealers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
1
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Offices of Chiropractors
1
Offices of Dentists
1
Offices of Optometrists
1
Solid Waste Collection
1
Tax Preparation Services
2
Tire Dealers
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
1

Marketing Your New Venture

Whether your goal is to attract Shafter customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your succeeding.

We have some excellent resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Television Advertising Rates 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.

How to Sell

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Shafter business, you need to focus on sales.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Cold Call Selling is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Successful entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Shafter, California, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local California educational institutions. We also recommend you look into Shafter networking organizations.

Never Give Up

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

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

Our goal here is to promote the vitality and growth of small businesses in Shafter and throughout the United States . We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Shafter 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 Shafter, California

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

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