Thinking about starting a business in Hollywood, Florida? This step-by-step guide walks you through the major decisions you should consider before opening a new business in Hollywood.
Before you get too far along in the process, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.
To determine whether you have what it takes to run a business, we recommend these three steps to help you decide:
There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.
Always keep in mind that you are starting a business in Hollywood. Some businesses will do better in Hollywood than others. Study Hollywood demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.
Hollywood has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Hollywood demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Hollywood.
As a new Hollywood entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Hollywood 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 |
23 |
| Air Traffic Control |
1 |
| Aircraft Manufacturing |
1 |
| Amusement Arcades |
5 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
16 |
| Apprenticeship Training |
1 |
| Architectural Services |
39 |
| Art Dealers |
7 |
| Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing |
1 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
3 |
| Automotive Exhaust System Repair |
4 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
10 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
38 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
10 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
5 |
| Barber Shops |
6 |
| Beauty Salons |
141 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
23 |
| Blind and Shade Manufacturing |
1 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Building |
5 |
| Boat Dealers |
12 |
| Book Publishers |
5 |
| Book Stores |
7 |
| Bowling Centers |
2 |
| Building Inspection Services |
14 |
| Business and Secretarial Schools |
1 |
| Business Associations |
10 |
| Business to Business Electronic Markets |
4 |
| Cable and Other Program Distribution |
14 |
| Cafeterias |
9 |
| Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores |
2 |
| Canvas and Related Product Mills |
1 |
| Car Washes |
17 |
| Carpet and Rug Mills |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
23 |
| Casinos (except Casino Hotels) |
1 |
| Caterers |
17 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
2 |
| Charter Bus Industry |
1 |
| Child and Youth Services |
4 |
| Child Day Care Services |
73 |
| Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores |
7 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
17 |
| Claims Adjusting |
19 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
22 |
| Collection Agencies |
8 |
| Commercial Bakeries |
3 |
| Commercial Flexographic Printing |
1 |
| Commercial Lithographic Printing |
13 |
| Commercial Photography |
12 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
6 |
| Commodity Contracts Brokerage |
3 |
| Commodity Contracts Dealing |
11 |
| Community Food Services |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
18 |
| Computer Facilities Management Services |
6 |
| Computer Systems Design Services |
78 |
| Computer Training |
5 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
2 |
| Confectionery and Nut Stores |
3 |
| Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers |
5 |
| Consumer Lending |
16 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
4 |
| Convenience Stores |
55 |
| Convention and Trade Show Organizers |
15 |
| Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing |
1 |
| Cosmetology and Barber Schools |
3 |
| Couriers |
18 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
24 |
| Credit Bureaus |
3 |
| Credit Unions |
13 |
| Curtain and Drapery Mills |
1 |
| Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
84 |
| Deep Sea Freight Transportation |
1 |
| Deep Sea Passenger Transportation |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
14 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
15 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
7 |
| Digital Printing |
1 |
| Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
6 |
| Direct Mail Advertising |
6 |
| Direct Title Insurance Carriers |
13 |
| Directory and Mailing List Publishers |
1 |
| Discount Department Stores |
8 |
| Display Advertising |
4 |
| Document Preparation Services |
13 |
| Drafting Services |
6 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
39 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
26 |
| Educational Support Services |
5 |
| Electrical Contractors |
80 |
| Electronic Shopping |
26 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
23 |
| Employment Placement Agencies |
11 |
| Engineering Services |
41 |
| Environmental Consulting Services |
8 |
| Exam Preparation and Tutoring |
12 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
23 |
| Facilities Support Services |
6 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
29 |
| Family Planning Centers |
1 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
22 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
54 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
3 |
| Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
42 |
| Flight Training |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
11 |
| Flooring Contractors |
26 |
| Florists |
14 |
| Food (Health) Supplement Stores |
18 |
| Food Service Contractors |
10 |
| Footwear and Leather Goods Repair |
1 |
| Footwear Merchant Wholesalers |
7 |
| Formal Wear and Costume Rental |
1 |
| Framing Contractors |
8 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
23 |
| Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
4 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
266 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
8 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
16 |
| Furniture Stores |
39 |
| General Automotive Repair |
88 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
22 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
5 |
| General Rental Centers |
4 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
7 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
32 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
8 |
| Golf Courses and Country Clubs |
9 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
8 |
| Graphic Design Services |
39 |
| Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Manufacturing |
1 |
| Hardware Merchant Wholesalers |
7 |
| Hardware Stores |
7 |
| Hazardous Waste Collection |
3 |
| HMO Medical Centers |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
9 |
| Home Centers |
7 |
| Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers |
19 |
| Home Health Care Services |
38 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
17 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
6 |
| Human Rights Organizations |
1 |
| Industrial Design Services |
4 |
| Industrial Launderers |
1 |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing |
2 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
215 |
| Interior Design Services |
25 |
| International Trade Financing |
1 |
| Internet Publishing and Broadcasting |
4 |
| Internet Service Providers |
11 |
| Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation |
1 |
| Investigation Services |
18 |
| Investment Advice |
56 |
| Janitorial Services |
96 |
| Jewelry (except Costume) Manufacturing |
4 |
| Jewelry Stores |
50 |
| Junior Colleges |
1 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
3 |
| Land Subdivision |
11 |
| Landscape Architectural Services |
4 |
| Landscaping Services |
104 |
| Lessors of Other Real Estate Property |
16 |
| Libraries and Archives |
3 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
229 |
| Limousine Service |
7 |
| Linen Supply |
1 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery |
7 |
| Locksmiths |
6 |
| Machine Shops |
2 |
| Mail-Order Houses |
11 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
2 |
| Marinas |
5 |
| Marine Cargo Handling |
1 |
| Marketing Consulting Services |
59 |
| Masonry Contractors |
12 |
| Meat Markets |
6 |
| Meat Processed from Carcasses |
2 |
| Media Buying Agencies |
3 |
| Media Representatives |
15 |
| Medical Laboratories |
10 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
6 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Metal Window and Door Manufacturing |
2 |
| Mineral Wool Manufacturing |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
9 |
| Mixed Mode Transit Systems |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
6 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
80 |
| Motion Picture and Video Distribution |
1 |
| Motion Picture and Video Production |
29 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
16 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
4 |
| Museums |
2 |
| Music Publishers |
1 |
| Musical Groups and Artists |
9 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
11 |
| Narrow Fabric Mills |
1 |
| New Car Dealers |
27 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
11 |
| News Dealers and Newsstands |
1 |
| News Syndicates |
2 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
5 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
21 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
8 |
| Office Administrative Services |
64 |
| Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
11 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
14 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
159 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
63 |
| Offices of Dentists |
183 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
337 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
43 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
7 |
| Offices of Podiatrists |
15 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
27 |
| One-Hour Photofinishing |
5 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing |
1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
4 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
22 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
3 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
2 |
| Packing and Crating |
1 |
| Paging |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
12 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
46 |
| Parking Lots and Garages |
15 |
| Passenger Car Leasing |
1 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
10 |
| Payroll Services |
8 |
| Pen and Mechanical Pencil Manufacturing |
2 |
| Periodical Publishers |
16 |
| Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
20 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
10 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
57 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
24 |
| Plastics Bottle Manufacturing |
1 |
| Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing |
1 |
| Political Organizations |
3 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
14 |
| Precision Turned Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Prepress Services |
6 |
| Private Mail Centers |
12 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
3 |
| Professional Organizations |
7 |
| Public Relations Agencies |
6 |
| Quick Printing |
11 |
| Radio Stations |
28 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
4 |
| Real Estate Credit |
70 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
1 |
| Record Production |
1 |
| Recreational Vehicle Dealers |
1 |
| Reinsurance Carriers |
2 |
| Remediation Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
34 |
| Residential Remodelers |
70 |
| Retail Bakeries |
12 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
7 |
| Roofing Contractors |
20 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
1 |
| Sales Financing |
9 |
| Satellite Telecommunications |
2 |
| Savings Institutions |
19 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| School and Employee Bus Transportation |
3 |
| Secondary Market Financing |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
16 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
17 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
1 |
| Sheer Hosiery Mills |
1 |
| Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing |
2 |
| Shellfish Fishing |
1 |
| Ship Building and Repairing |
3 |
| Shoe Stores |
49 |
| Siding Contractors |
3 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
6 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
9 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
45 |
| Soft Drink Manufacturing |
3 |
| Software Publishers |
4 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
5 |
| Solid Waste Landfill |
1 |
| Sound Recording Studios |
2 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
4 |
| Specialty Canning |
1 |
| Spice and Extract Manufacturing |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
16 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
15 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
35 |
| Taxi Service |
4 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
14 |
| Telemarketing Bureaus |
7 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
6 |
| Television Broadcasting |
6 |
| Temporary Help Services |
31 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
6 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters |
4 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
20 |
| Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers |
6 |
| Tire Dealers |
29 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
31 |
| Tobacco Stores |
7 |
| Tour Operators |
10 |
| Translation and Interpretation Services |
5 |
| Travel Agencies |
31 |
| Travel Trailer and Camper Manufacturing |
1 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
1 |
| Used Car Dealers |
35 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
20 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
22 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
7 |
| Veterinary Services |
36 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
15 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
4 |
| Voluntary Health Organizations |
4 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
4 |
| Water Supply and Irrigation Systems |
3 |
| Web Search Portals |
2 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
108 |
| Window Treatment Stores |
4 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
21 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
43 |
| Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing |
1 |
| Wood Window and Door Manufacturing |
2 |
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.
Even if the name doesn't do it by itself, many naming experts believe there should be a story behind the name that ties into your company mission.
There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are planning on starting a business in Hollywood, it's very important that you make sure no other Florida company is using the business name you want to use.
Whether your goal is to attract Hollywood customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your beating the competition.
Successful entrepreneurs recognize that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
With your business being located in Hollywood, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Florida universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also wise to see if there are any networking organizations for Hollywood entrepreneurs.
You have a dream -- starting a business in Hollywood. 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 Hollywood businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Hollywood, neighborhood development and overall economic health.
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Hollywood.
