Contemplating starting a business in Lake City, Florida? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Lake City.
Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
Before quitting your day job, assess 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:
- Talk to other entrepreneurs in Lake City. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
- We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
- Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.
Lake City, Florida Demographic Information
Lake City has an active business community that includes small businesses,
mid-sized businesses and large businesses.
To give you a better feel for Lake City demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Lake City.
| Business Size | # of
Businesses |
| 1-4 Employees |
23676 |
| 5-9 Employees |
9684 |
| 10-19 Employees |
6336 |
| 20-49 Employees |
4140 |
| 50-99 Employees |
828 |
| 100-249 Employees |
576 |
| 250-499 Employees |
180 |
| 500-999 Employees |
144 |
| 1000+ Employees |
0 |
| All Lake City Businesses |
45564 |
As a new Lake City entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Lake City 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 |
| Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
1 |
| Appliance Repair and Maintenance |
3 |
| Automobile Driving Schools |
1 |
| Automotive Glass Replacement Shops |
2 |
| Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores |
11 |
| Automotive Transmission Repair |
1 |
| Baked Goods Stores |
1 |
| Beauty Salons |
5 |
| Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers |
2 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores |
7 |
| Blood and Organ Banks |
1 |
| Boat Building |
1 |
| Boat Dealers |
3 |
| Bowling Centers |
1 |
| Business Associations |
4 |
| Cafeterias |
3 |
| Car Washes |
1 |
| Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
1 |
| Cemeteries and Crematories |
1 |
| Child Day Care Services |
19 |
| Civic and Social Organizations |
6 |
| Clothing Accessories Stores |
1 |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners |
2 |
| Collection Agencies |
2 |
| Commercial Screen Printing |
1 |
| Computer and Software Stores |
2 |
| Computer Training |
2 |
| Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing |
2 |
| Consumer Lending |
4 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities |
1 |
| Convenience Stores |
7 |
| Couriers |
1 |
| Court Reporting and Stenotype Services |
1 |
| Credit Unions |
5 |
| Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine |
1 |
| Custom Computer Programming Services |
3 |
| Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing |
1 |
| Dental Laboratories |
1 |
| Diagnostic Imaging Centers |
1 |
| Diet and Weight Reducing Centers |
1 |
| Direct Life Insurance Carriers |
2 |
| Display Advertising |
1 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
5 |
| Drywall and Insulation Contractors |
1 |
| Educational Support Services |
3 |
| Electric Power Distribution |
1 |
| Electrical Contractors |
10 |
| Electronic Shopping |
1 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
3 |
| Engineering Services |
7 |
| Exterminating and Pest Control Services |
3 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1 |
| Family Clothing Stores |
5 |
| Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
3 |
| Fine Arts Schools |
1 |
| Finish Carpentry Contractors |
7 |
| Fish and Seafood Markets |
1 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers |
4 |
| Floor Covering Stores |
3 |
| Flooring Contractors |
5 |
| Florists |
4 |
| Food Service Contractors |
3 |
| Framing Contractors |
11 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement |
1 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Markets |
1 |
| Full-Service Restaurants |
33 |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services |
4 |
| Furniture Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Furniture Stores |
3 |
| General Automotive Repair |
12 |
| General Freight Trucking, Local |
4 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
3 |
| General Rental Centers |
1 |
| General Warehousing and Storage |
1 |
| Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores |
2 |
| Glass and Glazing Contractors |
1 |
| Grantmaking Foundations |
1 |
| Graphic Design Services |
2 |
| Hardware Stores |
1 |
| Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores |
1 |
| Home Centers |
1 |
| Home Health Care Services |
4 |
| Home Health Equipment Rental |
2 |
| Homes for the Elderly |
4 |
| Household Appliance Stores |
1 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages |
22 |
| Investigation Services |
1 |
| Investment Advice |
1 |
| Janitorial Services |
6 |
| Jewelry Stores |
5 |
| Kidney Dialysis Centers |
1 |
| Land Subdivision |
6 |
| Landscaping Services |
12 |
| Limited-Service Restaurants |
30 |
| Livestock Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Locksmiths |
2 |
| Logging |
4 |
| Machine Shops |
3 |
| Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers |
7 |
| Masonry Contractors |
9 |
| Media Representatives |
1 |
| Medical Laboratories |
3 |
| Men's Clothing Stores |
1 |
| Metal Stamping |
1 |
| Miscellaneous Intermediation |
1 |
| Mobile Food Services |
1 |
| Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers |
3 |
| Motor Vehicle Towing |
2 |
| Motorcycle Dealers |
1 |
| Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Nail Salons |
3 |
| New Car Dealers |
11 |
| New Housing Operative Builders |
3 |
| Newspaper Publishers |
1 |
| Nonresidential Property Managers |
2 |
| Nursing Care Facilities |
4 |
| Office Administrative Services |
2 |
| Office Supplies and Stationery Stores |
2 |
| Offices of Certified Public Accountants |
8 |
| Offices of Chiropractors |
4 |
| Offices of Dentists |
12 |
| Offices of Lawyers |
31 |
| Offices of Optometrists |
4 |
| Offices of Other Holding Companies |
1 |
| Offices of Real Estate Appraisers |
6 |
| Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
1 |
| Optical Goods Stores |
3 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment Stores |
1 |
| Packaging and Labeling Services |
1 |
| Paint and Wallpaper Stores |
1 |
| Painting and Wall Covering Contractors |
6 |
| Passenger Car Rental |
1 |
| Periodical Publishers |
1 |
| Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
1 |
| Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services |
1 |
| Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals |
1 |
| Pharmacies and Drug Stores |
8 |
| Photography Studios, Portrait |
3 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas |
1 |
| Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing |
1 |
| Portfolio Management |
1 |
| Private Mail Centers |
1 |
| Professional Employer Organizations |
2 |
| Quick Printing |
1 |
| Radio Stations |
2 |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing |
1 |
| Real Estate Credit |
4 |
| Repossession Services |
1 |
| Residential Property Managers |
4 |
| Residential Remodelers |
4 |
| Reupholstery and Furniture Repair |
1 |
| Roofing Contractors |
7 |
| Savings Institutions |
1 |
| Sawmills |
2 |
| Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation |
1 |
| Securities Brokerage |
3 |
| Security Guards and Patrol Services |
1 |
| Septic Tank and Related Services |
4 |
| Shoe Stores |
3 |
| Siding Contractors |
5 |
| Sign Manufacturing |
3 |
| Site Preparation Contractors |
9 |
| Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars |
8 |
| Solid Waste Collection |
1 |
| Special Needs Transportation |
1 |
| Sporting Goods Stores |
5 |
| Sports and Recreation Instruction |
1 |
| Support Activities for Forestry |
3 |
| Tax Preparation Services |
6 |
| Telecommunications Resellers |
1 |
| Telephone Answering Services |
1 |
| Temporary Help Services |
3 |
| Temporary Shelters |
1 |
| Testing Laboratories |
1 |
| Tile and Terrazzo Contractors |
9 |
| Tire Dealers |
7 |
| Title Abstract and Settlement Offices |
2 |
| Tobacco Stores |
1 |
| Travel Agencies |
1 |
| Truss Manufacturing |
2 |
| Used Car Dealers |
10 |
| Used Household and Office Goods Moving |
2 |
| Used Merchandise Stores |
6 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
5 |
| Veterinary Services |
5 |
| Video Tape and Disc Rental |
3 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services |
2 |
| Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters |
1 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers |
10 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers |
7 |
| Women's Clothing Stores |
2 |
What About Franchising Opportunities?
As you drive around Lake City, you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?
Most business experts recommend that you look into purchasing a franchise. We have many articles on franchises, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Gain a solid understanding of franchising by scanning all of our Articles on Franchising.
A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.
Sample franchise opportunities include Best Year Yet, LLC and Friendly Computers. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Retail Franchises and Frozen Yogurt Franchises.
Note on Lake City Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Lake City.
Is Buying an Existing Lake City Business a Good Strategy?
If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Lake City.
For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.
Raising Money for Your Business
Getting your Lake City business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.
Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Bank Credit Lines.
For Lake City entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, check out our List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.
How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities
The best business owners know that what they know now may not be enough to ensure their future success.
Given that you are starting a business in Lake City, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Florida universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also beneficial to see if there are any networking groups or organizations in which Lake City entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.
Next Steps
You have a dream -- starting a business in Lake City. 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 Lake City businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Lake City entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.
More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Lake City, Florida
Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Lake City.
- Resources for Lake City, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Lake City 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.
- Lake City, Florida Newspaper Ad Rates - This is a nearly comprehensive list of advertising rates for Lake City, Florida newspapers, including ad costs for newspapers serving the Lake City area.
- Lake City, Florida Radio Advertising Prices - To help you in your marketing efforts, we've gathered radio advertising rates for Lake City, Florida area radio stations.
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