Florida Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Saint Augustine, Florida

Contemplating starting a business in Saint Augustine, Florida? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Saint Augustine.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

Choosing a business that is right for you is very important. To stir your creative juices on what kind of business to start, take a look at Free Business Ideas.

For in-depth how-to guides on how to start specific businesses, browse our Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our Starting a Dance Club guide or our Starting a Tatoo Parlor guide.

Don't forget that Saint Augustine is the place where you are starting a business. Some businesses will do better in Saint Augustine than others. Don't forget to review Saint Augustine demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Saint Augustine, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5345
5-9 Employees
1596
10-19 Employees
1053
20-49 Employees
630
50-99 Employees
222
100-249 Employees
93
250-499 Employees
18
500-999 Employees
9
1000+ Employees
3
All Saint Augustine Businesses
8969

As a new Saint Augustine entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Saint Augustine 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
5
Air Traffic Control
1
Aluminum Extruded Product Manufacturing
3
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
9
Art Dealers
13
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
5
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
10
Automotive Transmission Repair
3
Baked Goods Stores
3
Barber Shops
3
Beauty Salons
25
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
19
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
8
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
3
Boat Dealers
10
Book Publishers
1
Book Stores
7
Bowling Centers
1
Business Associations
3
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
1
Cafeterias
3
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Car Washes
12
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
1
Child Day Care Services
13
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
5
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
8
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
4
Commercial Screen Printing
4
Computer and Software Stores
1
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
3
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
4
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
1
Convenience Stores
13
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
6
Credit Bureaus
2
Credit Unions
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Dental Laboratories
4
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Digital Printing
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
6
Discount Department Stores
2
Document Preparation Services
4
Drafting Services
2
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
10
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
23
Electronic Shopping
2
Elementary and Secondary Schools
6
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
17
Environmental Consulting Services
11
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
2
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
14
Facilities Support Services
1
Family Clothing Stores
27
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Finish Carpentry Contractors
34
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
14
Flight Training
2
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
4
Florists
6
Food Service Contractors
4
Footwear Merchant Wholesalers
1
Framing Contractors
7
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fresh and Frozen Seafood Processing
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
6
Full-Service Restaurants
122
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
10
General Automotive Repair
20
General Freight Trucking, Local
1
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
1
General Rental Centers
4
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
42
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Graphic Design Services
2
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
5
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Historical Sites
3
HMO Medical Centers
1
Home Centers
1
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
7
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
7
Household Appliance Stores
2
Human Rights Organizations
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
32
Interior Design Services
3
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
1
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
4
Investment Advice
7
Jewelry Stores
20
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
9
Landscape Architectural Services
6
Landscaping Services
45
Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing
1
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Locksmiths
2
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
2
Machine Shops
5
Mail-Order Houses
8
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marinas
2
Masonry Contractors
19
Meat Markets
3
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
4
Men's Clothing Stores
7
Metal Household Furniture Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
13
Motion Picture and Video Production
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
3
Museums
9
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Musical Instrument Manufacturing
1
New Car Dealers
15
New Housing Operative Builders
9
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
3
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
13
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
20
Offices of Chiropractors
8
Offices of Dentists
22
Offices of Lawyers
44
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
2
Offices of Podiatrists
4
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Optical Goods Stores
4
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
27
Parking Lots and Garages
6
Payroll Services
3
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
2
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
2
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
8
Photography Studios, Portrait
6
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
3
Radio Stations
3
Real Estate Credit
14
Recreational Goods Rental
3
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Residential Property Managers
12
Residential Remodelers
29
Retail Bakeries
1
Roofing Contractors
13
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Savings Institutions
3
Sawmills
1
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Shellfish Fishing
1
Siding Contractors
5
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
12
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
19
Solid Waste Collection
5
Sound Recording Studios
1
Sporting Goods Stores
15
Tax Preparation Services
9
Taxi Service
1
Telecommunications Resellers
2
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
10
Temporary Shelters
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
17
Tire Dealers
5
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
5
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
6
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Merchandise Stores
18
Vending Machine Operators
4
Veterinary Services
13
Video Tape and Disc Rental
4
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wineries
1
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
6
Women's Clothing Stores
25

Is Buying an Existing Saint Augustine Business a Good Strategy?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you might discover several good businesses for sale in Saint Augustine.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: How to Buy a Business.

Naming the Business

Making the right decision when choosing a company name is very important. There are many decisions you'll make now that you can change later, but changing a company name years down the road is not very easy. So, choose a good company name at the outset.

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.

For other considerations regarding naming a company, we recommend this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are opening a business in Saint Augustine, it's very important that you make sure no other Florida company is using the business name you want to use.

Getting Money to Start a Business

Getting your Saint Augustine business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. The reality is that there is very little funding available for new small businesses, and you have to explore every possible alternative.

On the bright side, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled 504 Loans.

For Saint Augustine entrepreneurs in need of startup financing, browse our List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

The best entrepreneurs recognize that they don't know everything.

With your business being located in Saint Augustine, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the learning programs at local Florida educational institutions. It's also smart to see if there are any networking organizations for Saint Augustine entrepreneurs.

Moving Forward

You have a dream -- starting a business in Saint Augustine. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Saint Augustine 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 Saint Augustine, Florida

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

  • Resources for Saint Augustine, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Saint Augustine 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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