Florida Business Startup Guides

Start a Business in Daytona Beach, Florida

Are you starting a business in Daytona Beach, Florida? This article discusses the most important things to consider when opening a business in Daytona Beach.

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most startup businesses fail, in part because the founder did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

With so much at stake when you start a business, we strongly recommend you do the following before you proceed:

  • Grab a meal or cofee with other entrepreneurs in Daytona Beach. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • Take a look at Business Failure. It's a short article but it's a good reality check for those are about to jump into the world of entrepreneurship.
  • Involve a spouse, family member or trusted friend in the decision. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

What Business to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Finding Your Niche in Life.

To view an extensive list of business types, complete with startup instructions, spend some time in the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Natural & Cut Stone Dealership guide or our Starting a Public Opinion Analysis Business guide.

Remember that Daytona Beach is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Daytona Beach than others. Study Daytona Beach demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Daytona Beach, Florida Demographic Information

Daytona Beach has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Daytona Beach demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Daytona Beach.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
6464
5-9 Employees
2289
10-19 Employees
1593
20-49 Employees
1068
50-99 Employees
369
100-249 Employees
252
250-499 Employees
39
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
6
All Daytona Beach Businesses
12092

As a new Daytona Beach entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Daytona Beach 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
Advertising Agencies
7
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
2
Amusement Arcades
5
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
8
Architectural Services
8
Armored Car Services
1
Art Dealers
1
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
6
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
2
Beauty Salons
49
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
2
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
14
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
10
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
11
Bowling Centers
2
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Building Inspection Services
2
Burial Casket Manufacturing
1
Cafeterias
6
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
11
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
7
Child Day Care Services
34
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
5
Civic and Social Organizations
11
Claims Adjusting
7
Clothing Accessories Stores
8
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
6
Collection Agencies
4
Commercial Flexographic Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
9
Commercial Photography
3
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
2
Computer and Software Stores
9
Computer Systems Design Services
6
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
4
Consumer Lending
9
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
32
Convention and Visitors Bureaus
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
4
Credit Unions
4
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
11
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
7
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
3
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
6
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Display Advertising
1
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
34
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
22
Educational Support Services
1
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
29
Elementary and Secondary Schools
7
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
4
Engineering Services
19
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
18
Family Clothing Stores
33
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
6
Finish Carpentry Contractors
18
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
11
Flight Training
6
Floor Covering Stores
8
Flooring Contractors
12
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
6
Food Service Contractors
11
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
5
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
2
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
5
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
25
General Automotive Repair
46
General Freight Trucking, Local
4
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
5
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
46
Glass and Glazing Contractors
8
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
2
Graphic Design Services
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
4
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
6
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
11
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
10
Human Rights Organizations
1
Industrial Design Services
1
Industrial Launderers
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
57
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
2
Internet Service Providers
3
Investment Advice
7
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Janitorial Services
25
Jewelry Stores
24
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
4
Land Subdivision
7
Landscaping Services
37
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
10
Limited-Service Restaurants
110
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
3
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
3
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
5
Marketing Consulting Services
16
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
13
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
5
Metal Heat Treating
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mobile Food Services
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
15
Motion Picture and Video Production
4
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Nail Salons
2
Natural Gas Distribution
1
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Car Dealers
27
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
5
Nursing Care Facilities
13
Office Administrative Services
22
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
5
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
6
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Chiropractors
11
Offices of Dentists
51
Offices of Lawyers
162
Offices of Optometrists
8
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
14
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
12
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
2
Packing and Crating
1
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
7
Parking Lots and Garages
6
Passenger Car Rental
10
Periodical Publishers
1
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
4
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
2
Photography Studios, Portrait
8
Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing
1
Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing
1
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Professional Employer Organizations
5
Professional Organizations
6
Public Relations Agencies
3
Racetracks
4
Radio Networks
3
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
20
Real Estate Investment Trusts
4
Recreational Goods Rental
7
Residential Property Managers
19
Residential Remodelers
24
Retail Bakeries
2
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
4
Roofing Contractors
16
Rooming and Boarding Houses
2
Sales Financing
3
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
3
Securities and Commodity Exchanges
1
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
4
Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
4
Siding Contractors
3
Sign Manufacturing
5
Site Preparation Contractors
7
Small Arms Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
13
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
21
Taxi Service
2
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Telemarketing Bureaus
6
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Shelters
3
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
9
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Tire Dealers
17
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
16
Used Car Dealers
25
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
4
Used Merchandise Stores
11
Vending Machine Operators
5
Veterinary Services
11
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
8
Voluntary Health Organizations
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
14
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
14
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Choosing a Company Name

A good company name can give a big boost to a new startup. It might seem like an easy thing to do, but there are many things to consider when naming a business.

Pick a company name that isn't too generic. If you do a search engine search for your proposed name and a billion results come up, you may want to reconsider the name. It's much easier to come up in the search engines when your name is fairly unique.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Daytona Beach, it's imperative that you check now that no other Florida company is using the business name you want to use.

Make Sure You Have a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is critical in laying a solid foundation for your business success. Simply put, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free business counselors available to you through your local SCORE chapter in Florida.

Startup Financing Basics

Getting your Daytona Beach business the capital it needs to succeed will be harder than you might expect. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Take advantage of our many articles on securing funding, such as 504 Loans.

For Daytona Beach entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.

Building Up Your Sales

Mastering the art of selling is essential if you want your new Daytona Beach business to do well.

Clever sales techniques can transform any business from good to great. Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Good Sales Strategies offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Interviews With Daytona Beach Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Daytona Beach entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Moving Forward

Most new Daytona Beach businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Daytona Beach and elsewhere to achieve real success. We have a wealth of experience in business start-ups, financing, marketing, sales and more...and we've made all of our knowledge available to you.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Daytona Beach, Florida

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Daytona Beach.

  • Resources for Daytona Beach, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Daytona Beach 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.

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