Florida Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Vero Beach, Florida

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Most startup ventures do not succeed, in part because the business owner did not have the tenacity and/or the skills to succeed. So, before you open a business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Because entrepreneurship is not for everyone, we recommend you do the following to help you assess whether you should move forward with starting a business:

  • Talk to other entrepreneurs in Vero Beach. 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.

What Business Are You Starting?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read Business Ideas That Don't Make Sense.

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 How to Start a Contractors' Signs Business guide or our How to Start a Historical Organizations Business guide.

Don't forget that starting a business in Vero Beach has some implications. Some businesses will do better in Vero Beach than others. Make sure you fully understand Vero Beach demographics before you lock in on your business idea.

Vero Beach, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
5991
5-9 Employees
1698
10-19 Employees
1205
20-49 Employees
600
50-99 Employees
255
100-249 Employees
123
250-499 Employees
27
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
3
All Vero Beach Businesses
9905

As a new Vero Beach entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Vero Beach 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
Aircraft Manufacturing
1
Ambulance Services
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Architectural Services
15
Art Dealers
6
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
7
Automotive Transmission Repair
4
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
1
Beauty Salons
43
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
3
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
2
Book Publishers
2
Book Stores
4
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
3
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
1
Car Washes
3
Carpet and Rug Mills
1
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
11
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Charter Bus Industry
2
Child and Youth Services
1
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
4
Civic and Social Organizations
15
Clothing Accessories Stores
3
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
5
Collection Agencies
6
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Screen Printing
2
Computer and Software Stores
9
Computer Systems Design Services
7
Computer Training
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Construction Machinery Manufacturing
1
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
5
Convenience Stores
16
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
5
Credit Bureaus
1
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
2
Curtain and Drapery Mills
4
Custom Computer Programming Services
12
Deep Sea Freight Transportation
1
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
8
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
1
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
6
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
3
Document Preparation Services
2
Drafting Services
2
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
10
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
10
Electrical Contractors
36
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
1
Electronic Shopping
3
Elementary and Secondary Schools
5
Emergency and Other Relief Services
2
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Engineering Services
17
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
8
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
24
Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
3
Farm Management Services
7
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
5
Fine Arts Schools
4
Finish Carpentry Contractors
35
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Flight Training
2
Floor Covering Stores
18
Flooring Contractors
9
Florists
12
Food Service Contractors
7
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
7
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fruit and Vegetable Canning
1
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
3
Full-Service Restaurants
74
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
2
Furniture Stores
25
General Automotive Repair
27
General Freight Trucking, Local
5
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
2
Glass and Glazing Contractors
1
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
13
Grantmaking Foundations
6
Graphic Design Services
6
Greeting Card Publishers
1
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
2
Hardware Stores
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
7
Home Centers
4
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
1
Home Health Care Services
8
Home Health Equipment Rental
2
Homes for the Elderly
7
Household Appliance Stores
3
Inland Water Freight Transportation
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
45
Interior Design Services
29
Internet Publishing and Broadcasting
1
Internet Service Providers
3
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
18
Jewelry Stores
21
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
11
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
85
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
16
Limited-Service Restaurants
63
Locksmiths
3
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
4
Machine Shops
2
Mail-Order Houses
5
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
2
Marinas
6
Marking Device Manufacturing
1
Masonry Contractors
7
Meat Markets
3
Media Buying Agencies
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
11
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
8
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
1
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
4
Navigational Services to Shipping
3
New Housing Operative Builders
8
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
Newspaper Publishers
2
Nonresidential Property Managers
16
Nursing Care Facilities
5
Office Administrative Services
15
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
27
Offices of Chiropractors
14
Offices of Dentists
45
Offices of Lawyers
71
Offices of Optometrists
5
Offices of Other Holding Companies
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
8
Open-End Investment Funds
1
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
10
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Packaging and Labeling Services
1
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Paint and Coating Manufacturing
2
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
7
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
36
Passenger Car Leasing
1
Passenger Car Rental
2
Periodical Publishers
5
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
3
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
5
Portfolio Management
8
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Organizations
2
Public Relations Agencies
3
Radio Stations
2
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
3
Real Estate Credit
14
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Residential Property Managers
26
Residential Remodelers
34
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
7
Roofing Contractors
16
Sales Financing
4
Savings Institutions
11
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
25
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
2
Shoe Stores
24
Siding Contractors
4
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
10
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
12
Software Publishers
2
Sporting Goods Stores
17
Sports and Recreation Instruction
4
Sports Teams and Clubs
1
Tax Preparation Services
11
Telemarketing Bureaus
3
Telephone Answering Services
1
Temporary Help Services
4
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
2
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
16
Tire Dealers
7
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
7
Toilet Preparation Manufacturing
1
Travel Agencies
9
Used Car Dealers
8
Used Merchandise Stores
12
Veterinary Services
15
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
2
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
25
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
4
Women's Clothing Stores
28
Wood Office Furniture Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1
Zoos and Botanical Gardens
1

Is Franchising a Better Option?

Visit the business district of Vero Beach and you may be surprised to see how many franchises there are in the area. But is franchising the right option for you?

Most business experts recommend that you consider franchising as an option. We have many articles on franchises, such as How to Find Financing for Franchises. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

A comprehensive list of franchisors is available via our List of Franchise Opportunities.

Sample franchise opportunities include WSI Internet Franchises and Batter Up Kids Culinary Center. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Tanning Franchises and Marketing, Sales and Advertising Franchises.

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

Selecting a Name For Your Startup

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.

Before you decide on a company name, run it by some prospective customers and see what they think. If they don't like it, it's probably a good idea to go back to the drawing board.

To get up to speed on what makes for a good company name, we encourage you to read this useful article: Branding Advice.

On a final note, given that you are starting a business in Vero Beach, it's imperative that you check now that no other Florida company is using the business name you want to use.

The Role of the Business Plan

Having a business plan is critical in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, a business plan describes what you plan to do with the business and how you plan to do it. Starting a business without a business plan makes you more prone to becoming a business failure statistic.

To learn more about business plans, read Business Presentations. A great resource for business planning assistance is the face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Florida.

How to Improve Your Entrepreneurial Abilities

Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Vero Beach, Florida, you will want to take advantage of the many programs available at nearby Florida universities, colleges and community colleges. It's also smart to see if there are any networking organizations for Vero Beach entrepreneurs.

Interviews With Vero Beach Entrepreneurs

Enjoy these interviews we've had with Vero Beach entrepreneurs.

Next Steps

Most new Vero Beach businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Vero Beach and elsewhere to achieve real success. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Vero Beach, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Vero Beach, Florida

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

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