Florida Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Sebring, Florida

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

Do You Have What It Takes?

Most startup companies don't make it, in part because the entrepreneur did not have the entrepreneurial skills and traits needed to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

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 Sebring. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful 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. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Sebring, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
4240
5-9 Employees
1548
10-19 Employees
888
20-49 Employees
468
50-99 Employees
198
100-249 Employees
66
250-499 Employees
12
500-999 Employees
12
1000+ Employees
0
All Sebring Businesses
7432

As a new Sebring entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Sebring 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
Amusement Arcades
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
2
Architectural Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
3
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
8
Automotive Transmission Repair
2
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
13
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
1
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
1
Book Stores
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
1
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
3
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
14
Civic and Social Organizations
5
Claims Adjusting
1
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Commercial Photography
1
Commodity Contracts Brokerage
1
Community Food Services
1
Computer and Software Stores
5
Computer Systems Design Services
1
Consumer Lending
2
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
3
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
3
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
6
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
2
Discount Department Stores
1
Display Advertising
2
Drafting Services
1
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
3
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
6
Electric Power Distribution
1
Electrical Contractors
15
Elementary and Secondary Schools
1
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Engineering Services
3
Explosives Manufacturing
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
7
Family Clothing Stores
2
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
1
Farm Management Services
3
Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing
1
Fish and Seafood Markets
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
8
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
5
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
6
Food (Health) Supplement Stores
2
Framing Contractors
4
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
38
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
1
Furniture Stores
4
General Automotive Repair
17
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
6
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Graphic Design Services
1
Hardware Stores
1
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
4
Household Appliance Stores
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
26
Interior Design Services
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
1
Janitorial Services
10
Jewelry Stores
5
Kidney Dialysis Centers
2
Land Subdivision
3
Landscaping Services
20
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
4
Limited-Service Restaurants
24
Locksmiths
1
Machine Shops
1
Mail-Order Houses
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
4
Marinas
1
Masonry Contractors
9
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
2
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
3
Motor Vehicle Towing
2
Museums
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
New Car Dealers
3
New Housing Operative Builders
3
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
1
Office Administrative Services
2
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
10
Offices of Dentists
19
Offices of Lawyers
23
Offices of Optometrists
2
Offices of Podiatrists
3
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
6
Optical Goods Stores
2
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
12
Passenger Car Rental
3
Payroll Services
2
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
1
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
5
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Portfolio Management
1
Private Mail Centers
1
Professional Organizations
1
Racetracks
1
Radio Stations
1
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
1
Real Estate Credit
8
Residential Property Managers
1
Residential Remodelers
4
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
7
Securities Brokerage
6
Security Guards and Patrol Services
2
Septic Tank and Related Services
3
Ship Building and Repairing
1
Shoe Stores
5
Siding Contractors
2
Sign Manufacturing
1
Site Preparation Contractors
4
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
3
Solid Waste Collection
2
Sports and Recreation Instruction
1
Tax Preparation Services
3
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
2
Testing Laboratories
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
1
Tobacco Stores
1
Travel Agencies
3
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
5
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
1
Used Merchandise Stores
4
Veterinary Services
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
2
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
1
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
4
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
3
Window Treatment Stores
2
Women's Clothing Stores
6
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

Have You Considered Franchising?

As you drive around Sebring, you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?

We highly recommend you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as Credit and Franchise Purchasing. 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.

Representative franchise opportunities include Straw Hat Pizza and Mr. Sub. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Dating Service Franchises and Mail and Shipping Services Franchises.

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

Company Formation in Sebring, Florida

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will insulate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

When forming a company, you will decide among many company types, such as a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in Florida, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Florida. In fact, you can incorporate in any state you would like to. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as How to Incorporate. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Sebring, Florida, our web page covering Incorporating in Florida may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Florida.

The Role of the Business Plan

A business plan is essential in maximizing the prospects of your new company. Simply put, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Plan Mistakes. A great resource for business planning assistance is the free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Florida.

Marketing Your New Business

To rise above the crowd in Sebring and build your business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

There are myriad resources on this site to help you with your marketing plan. Technology Marketing discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Sebring 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.

We are here to help Sebring businesses to be successful. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Sebring 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 Sebring, Florida

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

  • Resources for Sebring, Florida Entrepreneurs - Browse a variety of resources we've collected to assist Sebring 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 Sebastian
Starting a Business in Seminole

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

 

 

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