Contemplating starting a business in Arcadia, Florida? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Arcadia.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
An entrepreneurial life is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you certain you are ready to take on this challenge?
While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Arcadia. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Have a candid conversation with friends and family. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Arcadia, Florida Demographic Information
Arcadia has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Arcadia demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Arcadia.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
9427 |
| 5-9 Employees |
3102 |
| 10-19 Employees |
1749 |
| 20-49 Employees |
792 |
| 50-99 Employees |
297 |
| 100-249 Employees |
99 |
| 250-499 Employees |
66 |
| 500-999 Employees |
0 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Arcadia Businesses |
15532 |
As a new Arcadia entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Arcadia 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 |
| Aircraft Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
5 |
| Barber Shops |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
5 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Book Stores |
1 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
1 |
| Business Associations |
3 |
| Child and Youth Services |
2 |
| Child Day Care Services |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
5 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
1 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
1 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
2 |
| Convenience Stores |
2 |
| Credit Unions |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
4 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
3 |
| Electrical Contractors |
5 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
1 |
| Engineering Services |
1 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
2 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
3 |
| Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders |
1 |
| Farm Management Services |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
5 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
1 |
| Flooring Contractors |
1 |
| Florists |
1 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Framing Contractors |
1 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
2 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
9 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
6 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
2 |
| Graphic Design Services |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
1 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
2 |
| Ice Manufacturing |
1 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
8 |
| Investment Advice |
2 |
| Janitorial Services |
4 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
1 |
| Landscaping Services |
18 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
6 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
11 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
3 |
| Masonry Contractors |
4 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
1 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
2 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
2 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
1 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
1 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
1 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
1 |
| Offices of Dentists |
3 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
8 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
1 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
3 |
| Payroll Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
2 |
| Poultry Processing |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
1 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
1 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
1 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
3 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
2 |
| Residential Remodelers |
2 |
| Roofing Contractors |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
1 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
1 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
11 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
4 |
| Tire Dealers |
4 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
1 |
| Veterinary Services |
6 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
1 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
1 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
2 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
1 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
1 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
1 |
Have You Considered Franchising?
As you drive around Arcadia, you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?
Our advice is to consider franchising as an option. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchise Versus Business Opportunity. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.
To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.
Sample franchise opportunities include Sunrise Bagels and Women's Health Boutique. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Senior Care Franchises and Meal Preparation Franchises.
Note on Arcadia Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Arcadia, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.
Have You Considered Buying an Existing Arcadia Business?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Arcadia.
Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.
Do You Need a Business Plan?
A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, 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 Reasons to Write a Business Plan. You should also take advantage of face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Florida.
Building Up Your Sales
Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Arcadia business, you need to focus on sales.
Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.
Tips on Customer Referrals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.
Next Steps
As an entrepreneur in Arcadia, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Arcadia and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Arcadia, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Arcadia, Florida
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Arcadia.
- Resources for Arcadia, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Arcadia entrepreneurs.
- Florida Entrepreneurial Resources - We've gathered state-level entrepreneurial resources to help new entrepreneurs who are based in Florida.
- Florida Small Business Development Center - The Florida Small Business Development Center Network (FSBDCN) is a statewide economic development partnership between higher education and other stakeholder organizations dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and established businesses with the assistance needed to start, grow and succeed, contributing to the Florida economy.
- Arcadia, Florida Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Arcadia, Florida newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Arcadia area.
- Arcadia, Florida Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Arcadia, Florida area radio stations.
More Business Startup Guides for Florida
Starting a Business in Apopka
Starting a Business in Bartow
Browse All
Business Startup Guides for Florida
