Executive Summary 

In the latter part of 2007, the city council received complaints that the city 

was not doing enough to assist small businesses. City staff met with 

business owners to discuss available small business resources. 

The city’s  Economic Development Commission studied the matter and directed staff to conduct a survey of the city’s small business community. The city surveyed  1,817 small businesses located throughout the city. The study showed Carson small businesses have generally increased their overall growth and activity and are a major employment sector for the entire city.  

The majority of small businesses in the city are oriented to take advantage of 

Carson’s central location along two major federal intestate highways and the 

city’s general proximity to the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach 

and Los Angeles International Airport. “Wholesale Distribution”, 

“Manufacturing”, and “Transportation” were the three most common 

industries selected by survey respondents, accounting for 138 total small 

businesses surveyed, or 50.92% of the 288 returned surveys. 

As a major employer, small businesses located throughout the city of Carson 

employ on average 22.10 individuals per small business and pay an average 

hourly wage of between $10.01 and $30.00 an hour with 90 total survey 

respondents paying between $15.01 and $20.00 per hour. A significant 

portion of small businesses located within the city also provide some type of 

employee benefit such as health care, a retirement package or dental care. A 

total of 176 survey respondents, or 61.11% of the 288 returned surveys, 

indicated that they did provide their employees with some type of employee 

benefit in addition to the employee’s average hourly wage. 

Based upon the answers returned by the 288 survey respondents, there are 

several opportunities for the city of Carson, in partnership with other small 

business assistance organizations – i.e., the Los Angeles SBA District 

Office, Los Angeles SCORE, and Orange County SCORE – to provide  better assistance and outreach to small businesses located throughout the city. 

Of the 288 returned surveys, 164 total respondents or 56.94% indicated that 

they did not have a written business plan. According to Coupal (2004) and 

Korsching and Allen (2000), and their national studies of small business 

success, the successful development of an effective business plan and its 

proper implementation can mean the difference between success and failure. 

In fact, only 24 total survey respondents, or 8.33% of all returned surveys, 7

indicated that they had been assisted by Carson Economic Development, 

Los Angeles SCORE, Orange County SCORE or the Los Angeles SBA 

(Small Business Administration) District Office. 

Comparatively, 29 survey respondents indicated a desire for assistance in 

writing a business plan. An additional 54 survey respondents indicated a 

need for assistance in securing a small business loan. Thirty-two survey 

respondents wanted assistance in writing a marketing plan and 26 survey 

respondents would welcome assistance in acquiring market data for the city 

of Carson. In regards to specific services, 23 survey respondents indicated 

that they would like assistance with accounting services and an additional 20 

survey respondents indicated that they would like assistance with payroll 

services. 

Although there is considerable room for the city and its small business 

assistance partner organizations to provide additional levels of support for 

Carson’s growing small businesses, the city of Carson itself is perceived to 

be a supportive and business-friendly environment. A total of 165 survey 

respondents (57.29% of the 288 returned surveys) believe that Carson’s 

local government is committed to solving the problems the business owner 

faces. A total of 202 survey respondents (70.14% of 288) believe that the 

city of Carson has adequate growth potential – in terms of both population 

and jobs – to support small business development in the future. Finally, a 

total of 221 survey respondents (76.74% of 288) feel that the city of Carson 

has a positive and business-friendly image.  

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