Contemplating starting a business in Boca Raton, Florida? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Boca Raton.
Before announcing to the world that you are going to start your own business, take inventory of your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
Here are three things we recommend you do before you fully commit to starting a new business of your own.
Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.
Remember that you are opening your new business in Boca Raton. If Boca Raton already has plenty of the kind of business you want to start, you might want to change your plans. Only by spending some time analyzing Boca Raton demographics can you decide if there will be strong demand for your business idea.
Boca Raton has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Boca Raton demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Boca Raton.
As a new Boca Raton entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Boca Raton 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 |
| Abrasive Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Advertising Agencies |
47 |
| Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing |
1 |
| Air Traffic Control |
1 |
| Ambulance Services |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
4 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
12 |
| Architectural Services |
67 |
| Art Dealers |
29 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
4 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
4 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
2 |
| Barber Shops |
9 |
| Beauty Salons |
148 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
15 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
2 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
2 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
2 |
| Book Publishers |
5 |
| Book Stores |
8 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills |
1 |
| Building Inspection Services |
17 |
| Business Associations |
10 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
4 |
| Cafeterias |
5 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
3 |
| Car Washes |
16 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
10 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
2 |
| Caterers |
11 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
3 |
| Child Day Care Services |
33 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
11 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
14 |
| Claims Adjusting |
11 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
13 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
5 |
| Collection Agencies |
20 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
6 |
| Commercial Photography |
4 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
2 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
11 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
5 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
14 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
6 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
83 |
| Computer Training |
7 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
1 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
5 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Construction Sand and Gravel Mining |
1 |
| Consumer Lending |
16 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
12 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
9 |
| Convention and Visitors Bureaus |
2 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
1 |
| Couriers |
5 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
16 |
| Credit Bureaus |
3 |
| Credit Card Issuing |
4 |
| Credit Unions |
6 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
4 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
103 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dance Companies |
2 |
| Deep Sea Freight Transportation |
2 |
| Dental Laboratories |
8 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
15 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
7 |
| Digital Printing |
3 |
| Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
12 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
8 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
18 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
8 |
| Discount Department Stores |
3 |
| Display Advertising |
4 |
| Document Preparation Services |
15 |
| Drafting Services |
6 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
16 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
16 |
| Educational Support Services |
12 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
62 |
| Electronic Auctions |
1 |
| Electronic Computer Manufacturing |
1 |
| Electronic Shopping |
30 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
17 |
| Emergency and Other Relief Services |
2 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
22 |
| Engineering Services |
67 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
9 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
11 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
25 |
| Facilities Support Services |
3 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
42 |
| Family Planning Centers |
2 |
| Farm Management Services |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
14 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
41 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
55 |
| Flight Training |
1 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
17 |
| Flooring Contractors |
19 |
| Florists |
11 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
19 |
| Food Service Contractors |
29 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
2 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
4 |
| Framing Contractors |
9 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
15 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
244 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
5 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
23 |
| Furniture Stores |
49 |
| General Automotive Repair |
42 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
10 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
2 |
| General Rental Centers |
3 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
2 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
26 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
4 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
19 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
15 |
| Graphic Design Services |
31 |
| Greeting Card Publishers |
1 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
11 |
| Hardware Stores |
3 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
9 |
| Home Centers |
3 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
23 |
| Home Health Care Services |
30 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
6 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
5 |
| Hunting and Trapping |
1 |
| Industrial Building Construction |
2 |
| Industrial Design Services |
5 |
| Inland Water Passenger Transportation |
1 |
| Institutional Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
221 |
| Interior Design Services |
88 |
| International Trade Financing |
2 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
13 |
| Internet Service Providers |
14 |
| Investigation Services |
17 |
| Investment Advice |
111 |
| Iron and Steel Mills |
2 |
| Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
63 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
4 |
| Jewelry Stores |
85 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
7 |
| Land Subdivision |
22 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
8 |
| Landscaping Services |
89 |
| Language Schools |
4 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
13 |
| Libraries and Archives |
2 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
137 |
| Limousine Service |
15 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
9 |
| Locksmiths |
9 |
| Luggage and Leather Goods Stores |
3 |
| Machine Shops |
7 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
20 |
| Marinas |
1 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
112 |
| Masonry Contractors |
14 |
| Meat Markets |
7 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
5 |
| Media Representatives |
3 |
| Medical Laboratories |
7 |
| Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing |
1 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
12 |
| Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
2 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
24 |
| Mobile Food Services |
4 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
81 |
| Motion Picture and Video Distribution |
2 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
26 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
6 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
2 |
| Museums |
7 |
| Music Publishers |
2 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
15 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
6 |
| Nail Salons |
17 |
| Natural Gas Distribution |
1 |
| Navigational Services to Shipping |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
3 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
16 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
2 |
| News Syndicates |
1 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
16 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
64 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
11 |
| Office Administrative Services |
104 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
12 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
9 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
136 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
57 |
| Offices of Dentists |
178 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
492 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
29 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
23 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
22 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
32 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
1 |
| Open-End Investment Funds |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
26 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
2 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
4 |
| Packing and Crating |
2 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
8 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
55 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
11 |
| Passenger Car Leasing |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
8 |
| Payroll Services |
8 |
| Periodical Publishers |
22 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
10 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
12 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
34 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
15 |
| Political Organizations |
3 |
| Portfolio Management |
64 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
3 |
| Printing Ink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
7 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
7 |
| Professional Organizations |
9 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
26 |
| Quick Printing |
6 |
| Radio Networks |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
3 |
| Real Estate Credit |
103 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
5 |
| Recreational Goods Rental |
3 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
1 |
| Remediation Services |
2 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
73 |
| Residential Remodelers |
73 |
| Retail Bakeries |
6 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
13 |
| Roofing Contractors |
19 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
12 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
29 |
| Sawmills |
1 |
| Scheduled Freight Air Transportation |
2 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
108 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
13 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
2 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
1 |
| Shoe Stores |
38 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
2 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
14 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
56 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
1 |
| Software Publishers |
9 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
24 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
18 |
| Spring (Light Gauge) Manufacturing |
1 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
19 |
| Taxi Service |
1 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
7 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
9 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
2 |
| Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing |
3 |
| Television Broadcasting |
4 |
| Temporary Help Services |
60 |
| Testing Laboratories |
6 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
3 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
23 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Tire Dealers |
9 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
52 |
| Tobacco Stores |
3 |
| Toilet Preparation Manufacturing |
3 |
| Tour Operators |
3 |
| Tradebinding and Related Work |
1 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
41 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
2 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
8 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
24 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
5 |
| Veterinary Services |
33 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
9 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
12 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Web Search Portals |
4 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
138 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
10 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
18 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
68 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
1 |
| Zoos and Botanical Gardens |
1 |
Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.
Companies like Starbucks, Apple, Target, Microsoft and Intuit all have strong company names that are easy to remember and have become well-loved brands. Wouldn't it be nice if your new company name got on a similar track?
To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are opening a business in Boca Raton, it's very important that you make sure you will be the only Florida company using the business name you have chosen.
A critical step is ensuring that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Among other things, forming a legal entity for the business limits your liabilities.
The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.
Incorporation is a very common way to legally create a business entity. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. If you are starting a business in Florida, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Florida. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.
There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as ESOP Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Boca Raton, Florida, our information on Incorporating in Florida may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Florida.
Finding the funds to fuel the growth of your Boca Raton business is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as Business Credit Evaluation.
The best entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.
With your business being located in Boca Raton, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Florida educational institutions. We also recommend you look into Boca Raton networking organizations.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Boca Raton. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.
From this point on, you control your own destiny.
We are here to help Boca Raton businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Boca Raton, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Boca Raton.
