City Guides

Lake Charles Small Business Guide

Lake Charles Small Business Guide

Lake Charles may be known as the Festival Capital of Louisiana, but the city is also a leader in industry, culture and education. Though the city proper has a population of just over 70,000 residents, Lake Charles is considered one of the most important cities in the Lake Charles metropolitan area, which has a population of over 200,000. Lake Charles is an attractive and vibrant location for starting a new business venture.

Lake Charles was first incorporated under the name of Charleston back in 1861, but residents were not happy with the name and changed it in 1867. The town grew in size and stature but suffered a devastating blow in 1910 when fire destroyed much of the city, and it was not until the years surrounding World War II that it returned to and surpassed its previous economic health. Much of Lakes Charles' economic health came with the introduction of the petrochemical refining industry to its locale, and the recent addition of gaming, manufacturing and aviation maintenance has sealed its status as an economic powerhouse.

Lake Charles is located in Southwest Louisiana, an area that is seeing small and medium-sized businesses flourish. Some of the factors that contribute to its popularity include:

  • Lake Charles is the home of a number of well-known employers who employ thousands of engineers and technical personnel. Leading names among companies located in Lake Charles include Turner Industries, Citgo, Phillips 66 and Northrop Grumman.
  • Residents enjoy a wealth of shopping opportunities, as the city provides the majority of the commercial resources in the region. The Prien Lake Mall attracts over 300,000 people in the region and the Lake Charles Power Center features over one million square feet of shopping space.
  • Lake Charles has become a gaming mecca, with the L'Auberge duLac Casino Resort and the Golden Nugget Lake Charles attracting visitors from all over the world.
  • The city is known for hosting over 75 festivals every year, with the most famous being its Mardi Gras celebration, which is second only to New Orleans for size and color.
  • The area has extensive transportation resources, including rail, interstates, and the 11th largest port in the nation.

With so much to recommend it, it is no wonder that Lake Charles is attracting so many entrepreneurs.

Those considering opening a business in Lake Charles have a wealth of opportunities and resources available to them. The first step requires determining the type of business structure that you will use so that you can manage all of your Louisiana business filings and tax account registrations. For help making these decisions, an experienced accountant can be an extremely valuable resource who can also ensure that you are running your business in the most cost effective and efficient way possible.

The state of Louisiana provides a convenient site wherein businesses can create a checklist based upon their individual needs, industry, tax status and location, and the community is supportive of new businesses. The links below will provide a good starting point for anybody considering establishing a business in Lake Charles.

  • Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
  • Southwest Louisiana Major Employers
  • Southwest Louisiana Household Income Statistics
  • Louisiana Business License Checklist
  • Lake Charles Available Office and Retail Space
  • Southwest Louisiana Startup Weekend
  • Lake Charles Economy at a Glance
  • Lake Charles Occupational License Tax
  • Louisiana Economic Development
  • City of Lake Charles
  • Find the Best Lake Charles CPAs and Accountants
share this post
Search for matches...
Jeffrey Mathews

Jeffrey Mathews

Jeffrey B Mathews CPA, LLC provides Sulphur and Lake Charles accounting services for small to medium businesses. We serve companies throughout Louisiana, Texas and beyond with our virtual CFO and outsourced accounting plans. Look to us for help with your business accounting,payroll, and advisory services -- all for an affordable, fixed rate plan. Our satisfied clients includes companies across start-ups, medical, professional, technical, retail, and service industries. Our services will include helping you with cash flow management, budgeting, senior-level financial decision making, creating a tax strategy and reviewing your insurance policies in order to ensure that you are well-protected. With our meticulous attention to detail, we help to make sure that you understand what is happening with your accounting process and financial plan at every turn. We will make sure that our role as part-time chief financial officer translates into full-time confidence. Locations served include Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge from our CPA firm headquartered in Sulphur, La and other locations coming soon.

JEFFREY B. MATHEWS, CPA, LLC
0 reviews

Louisiana

Recommended Professionals

In the face of economic uncertainty, TaxBuzz is the industry's most up-to-date tax information.

Join 60,000 who get our weekly newsletter. No spam.

We know tax and accounting issues are complicated.

Do you have additional questions on this topic for this author?

Related Posts

Latest Posts