Florida Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Palm Coast, Florida

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

Is Becoming an Entrepreneur Right for You?

Most new companies fail, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

While entrepreneurship has become a popular career choice, we recommend you do the following before you take the plunge:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Palm Coast. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Should You Become an Entrepreneur?. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Have a candid conversation with friends and family. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To help you decide on a business type, we encourage you to read Good Business Ideas.

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 Starting a Desk Pads & Accessories Business guide or our Opening an Elevator Installation, Testing, & Repair Business guide.

Always keep in mind that starting a business in Palm Coast has some implications. The business you want to start may already be well-represented in Palm Coast. A critical consideration is whether Palm Coast demographics mesh well with your startup concept.

Palm Coast, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
2512
5-9 Employees
474
10-19 Employees
309
20-49 Employees
150
50-99 Employees
42
100-249 Employees
24
250-499 Employees
6
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
3
All Palm Coast Businesses
3532

As a new Palm Coast entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Palm Coast 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
4
Art Dealers
2
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
2
Beauty Salons
16
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Boat Building
2
Boat Dealers
3
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Finishing Mills
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
5
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child Day Care Services
2
Civic and Social Organizations
7
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Systems Design Services
2
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
1
Credit Unions
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
5
Dental Laboratories
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
2
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
1
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
11
Educational Support Services
1
Electrical Contractors
14
Electronic Capacitor Manufacturing
1
Engineering Services
12
Environmental Consulting Services
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
6
Family Clothing Stores
2
Family Planning Centers
1
Fine Arts Schools
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
24
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
5
Floor Covering Stores
3
Flooring Contractors
7
Florists
4
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
3
Food Service Contractors
1
Framing Contractors
9
Full-Service Restaurants
34
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
3
General Freight Trucking, Local
3
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
3
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Graphic Design Services
4
Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing
1
Hardware Stores
3
Home Health Care Services
7
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
4
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
15
Interior Design Services
4
Internet Service Providers
2
Investigation Services
1
Investment Advice
6
Janitorial Services
17
Jewelry Stores
3
Land Subdivision
5
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
30
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
17
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
1
Marinas
1
Marketing Consulting Services
10
Masonry Contractors
5
Meat Markets
2
Medical Laboratories
1
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
9
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
1
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Car Dealers
2
New Housing Operative Builders
8
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Office Administrative Services
7
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
9
Offices of Chiropractors
5
Offices of Dentists
10
Offices of Lawyers
13
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
5
Optical Goods Stores
5
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packing and Crating
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
7
Photography Studios, Portrait
1
Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
1
Portfolio Management
4
Professional Organizations
1
Real Estate Credit
11
Recreational Goods Rental
2
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
5
Residential Remodelers
14
Roofing Contractors
5
Sales Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
4
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Siding Contractors
6
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
1
Sporting Goods Stores
3
Taxi Service
1
Temporary Help Services
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Tire Dealers
3
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
9
Tobacco Stores
2
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
2
Vending Machine Operators
3
Veterinary Services
4
Video Tape and Disc Rental
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
1

Choosing a Business 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.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Business.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Palm Coast, 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

Having a business plan is vital in laying a solid foundation for your business success. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Failure to write a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

If writing a business plan is on your to-do list, be sure to read Business Plan Contests. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Florida.

Ramping Up Sales

Mastering the art of selling is a must if you want your new Palm Coast business to do well.

Good selling involves demonstrating that your wares meet your customer's needs. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Tips on Customer Referrals offers some helpful tips on how to sell. It's one of several good articles on our site regarding Entrepreneurial Selling.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

The best business owners know that they need to continually improve.

With your business being located in Palm Coast, 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 Palm Coast entrepreneurs get together to network and trade their business experiences.

Moving Forward

Most new Palm Coast businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

If you choose the right business and love what you do, you will greatly increase your odds of success.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Palm Coast and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Palm Coast 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 Palm Coast, Florida

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

  • Resources for Palm Coast, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Palm Coast 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 Palm Beach
Starting a Business in Palmetto

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

 

 

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