Thousands of people grow up dreaming of being their own bosses. Now that it’s time to make that dream into a reality, however, you may be wondering just what the best way to go about it is. One of the things you’ll certainly ask yourself before starting your business is where exactly you should do it. You want a place that offers good conditions to start-ups and businesses in general, where skilled workers are easy to come by and where you can also feel at home in your personal life. Florida ticks all the boxes! But Florida is also a big state. You will still need to narrow it down before you start designing your headquarters. So what are the best places to start a business in Florida? Let’s take a look at some suggestions!
Why choose Florida for your business venture?
It’s no secret that Florida attracts many business owners, old and new. But have you ever wondered what it is about the Sunshine State that makes it such a popular place to run a business in? The answer is a combination of factors. One of the most important ones is certainly the fact that anyone looking to make business investments in Florida will face a very warm welcome into a very favorable business climate. State taxes and regulations here are all about making it easier to own a business. So you’ll definitely have that to look forward to!
However, there’s more. The growing economy and high standard of living make it easier for businesses to succeed. It also helps that Florida is a great location for a number of different industries, including:
- banking and finances
- construction
- international shipping and trade
- medicine and medical equipment
- IT and programming
- tourism and service
A business in any of these branches will be right at home in Florida! Another great advantage of starting your business here comes from the presence of many excellent higher education institutions in the state. With great universities such as the University of Miami and the University of Tampa nearby, you’ll have no shortage of highly educated young people eager to work for your team!
What are the best places to start a business in Florida?
Think about some of the most important things you need to start a business in Florida. If a good location made your top five essentials, then congratulations – you’re right! A good location ensures better profits, lower taxes and wider customer reach among other things. So make sure to pick one of these cities when choosing the place for your new business venture.
Maitland
Maitland is an Orlando suburb with an average revenue of $4.5 million per business – quite high, you’ll agree. That alone would earn it a spot on this list. But that’s not all that Maitland offers. The proximity to Orlando, which is only 10 miles away, is another great advantage. Not only will this expand your customer and employee pool, but it will also give you access to the National Entrepreneur Center which can be of great help with your start-up. You can enjoy free one-on-one coaching, entrepreneurship seminars, and assistance with business loans. If you’re just getting started as a business owner, this can make all the difference in the world.
Coral Springs
If you’re looking for a city that’s a nice mix of urban and suburban to open your business in, then you may want to start looking for Coral Springs professionals to help you move. This Broward County city is home to a little over 120,000 people. It is the perfect place for you if your new start-up caters to retirees as it has been voted the best place to retire in the country multiple times. But great weather, excellent marks for safety and good schools make it attractive to families as well. Most of the existing businesses are in sales and management. The service industry isn’t far behind though.
Doral
Planning on starting a Florida business in the branches of tourism, logistics, finance or trade? Miami is an obvious choice. But Miami is a mixed bag, with high rents and high crime rates alike. So choose the City of Doral instead – only 15 miles inland from Miami, it is close enough to keep all the perks of the big city (such as access to the port and the possibility of free business consulting from the Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida International University in Miami) but offers all the benefits of a suburb as well, giving you lower rent rates and more safety.
Naples
A regular on top lists of Florida places to both visit and live in, Naples is a city on the Gulf of Mexico where tourism, service and sales businesses thrive like nowhere else. So if you’re looking to start a restaurant, open a high-end shop or just want to live out your dream of owning a mom-and-pop store, this is the place to go. Plus, you can get free business consulting from the Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University!
North Lauderdale
You may have noticed a theme by now – small towns and suburbs are thriving! The reason for this tends to be the fact that they combine the best of both worlds: with an urban center nearby, you have access to all the amenities of a big city without needing to deal with the downsides of it. For that exact reason, you may also consider a relocation of any kind in North Lauderdale. With high marks across the board on safety, cost of living, weather, activities, and livability in general, this suburb of Fort Lauderdale can be an excellent place for starting a business and the perfect alternative to doing so in the more central but more expensive areas of the city. Most businesses here are in service and sales, though management is not far behind. That should give you an idea of what you can succeed in here!
What are the next steps to take in order to start a business in Florida?
Once you’ve settled on one of the best places to start a business in Florida, it’s time to actually do the legwork. First, you will need to choose your entity type (for-profit corporation, limited liability company or nonprofit corporation). Then you will need to register your company and your “doing business as” or DBA. Finally, set up your business to pay taxes and open a corporate bank account. Don’t forget to check if you need any special licenses either! Once the paperwork is all done, you can move on to more interesting things like finding your new office space and designing it.
Guest author, Linda Gibson is a freelance journalist and small business owner from Florida. After working in an office for almost a decade, she decided to become her own boss and opened a consulting firm in Orlando. Now she spends her days encouraging others to pursue their dreams as well.
