Florida Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Fernandina Beach, Florida

Thinking about starting a business in Fernandina Beach, Florida? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Fernandina Beach.

Fernandina Beach, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
1875
5-9 Employees
444
10-19 Employees
297
20-49 Employees
183
50-99 Employees
60
100-249 Employees
30
250-499 Employees
3
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
0
All Fernandina Beach Businesses
2901

As a new Fernandina Beach entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Fernandina 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
1
Architectural Services
7
Art Dealers
3
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
18
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Dealers
2
Book Stores
3
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
3
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Car Washes
2
Casino Hotels
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
11
Civic and Social Organizations
1
Claims Adjusting
2
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
3
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Convenience Stores
1
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Couriers
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Deep Sea Passenger Transportation
1
Dental Laboratories
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
3
Discount Department Stores
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
6
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
3
Electronic Shopping
1
Elementary and Secondary Schools
2
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
1
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
8
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
9
Fish and Seafood Markets
3
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Flight Training
1
Flooring Contractors
2
Florists
5
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
1
Food Service Contractors
2
Framing Contractors
5
Freight Transportation Arrangement
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
1
Furniture Stores
2
General Automotive Repair
8
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
2
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
1
Graphic Design Services
1
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
2
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
1
Home Health Care Services
2
Household Appliance Stores
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
12
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
5
Janitorial Services
8
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
8
Landscape Architectural Services
1
Landscaping Services
12
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
26
Locksmiths
2
Marinas
1
Marine Cargo Handling
1
Marketing Consulting Services
11
Masonry Contractors
3
Medical Laboratories
1
Men's Clothing Stores
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
1
Nail Salons
2
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Car Dealers
1
New Housing Operative Builders
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
4
Offices of Chiropractors
3
Offices of Dentists
7
Offices of Optometrists
3
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
1
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
2
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
1
Paperboard Mills
1
Periodical Publishers
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
4
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Professional Organizations
1
Pulp Mills
1
Quick Printing
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
4
Residential Property Managers
6
Residential Remodelers
10
Roofing Contractors
1
Sales Financing
1
Sawmills
1
Securities Brokerage
1
Shellfish Fishing
1
Shoe Stores
4
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Software Publishers
1
Sporting Goods Stores
5
Sports and Recreation Instruction
3
Tax Preparation Services
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Testing Laboratories
2
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Timber Tract Operations
2
Tire Dealers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
2
Tobacco Stores
1
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Travel Agencies
3
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Window Treatment Stores
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
2
Women's Clothing Stores
9

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Examine a list of Fernandina Beach businesses and it's apparent that franchising has become a very popular way to start a business. Evidently, there must be some significant advantages to purchasing a franchise.

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Buying a Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can find franchise opportunities by browsing our Franchise Opportunities Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Children's Orchard, Inc. and Mega Wraps. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Frozen Yogurt Franchises and Kid Friendly Franchises.

Note on Fernandina Beach Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Fernandina Beach.

Forming a Company in Fernandina Beach, Florida

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, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Florida. As it turns out, you can incorporate in the state of your choosing. 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. To learn the fundamentals of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Offshore Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Fernandina Beach, Florida, our information on Incorporating in Florida may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Florida.

Letting the World Know You Exist

Whether your goal is to attract Fernandina Beach customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, you need a great marketing plan.

We have some useful resources on this site for entrepreneurs who are working on marketing plans. Marketing Basics is an article that will generate a few thoughts on your marketing plan. There are many more articles on marketing on our site. Visit our Small Business Marketing resource section to see them all.

Ramping Up Sales

Do you know how to sell? In order to attract customers to your new Fernandina Beach business, you need to focus on sales.

Why should customers buy from you instead of buying from competitors? Fortunately, we've got plenty of good advice to help you improve your selling skills.

Landing Big Customers offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

As an entrepreneur who lives in Fernandina Beach, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Florida educational institutions. It's also wise to see if there are any networking organizations for Fernandina Beach entrepreneurs.

What's Next?

As an entrepreneur in Fernandina Beach, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

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

We are here to help Fernandina Beach businesses to be successful. 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 Fernandina Beach, Florida

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

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

More Business Startup Guides for Florida

Starting a Business in Fern Park
Starting a Business in Fort Lauderdale

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Florida
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary