Florida Business Startup Guides

Starting a Business in Melbourne, Florida

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

Melbourne, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
30852
5-9 Employees
10320
10-19 Employees
7296
20-49 Employees
3996
50-99 Employees
1656
100-249 Employees
1020
250-499 Employees
204
500-999 Employees
96
1000+ Employees
48
All Melbourne Businesses
55488

As a new Melbourne entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Melbourne 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
4
Aircraft Manufacturing
2
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Amusement Arcades
2
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
7
Apprenticeship Training
2
Architectural Services
16
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
1
Automobile Driving Schools
1
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
3
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
6
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
21
Automotive Transmission Repair
5
Baked Goods Stores
5
Beauty Salons
59
Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
11
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
2
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Dealers
8
Book Publishers
1
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
9
Business Associations
4
Cable and Other Program Distribution
2
Cafeterias
8
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
2
Canvas and Related Product Mills
2
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services
11
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
1
Child and Youth Services
4
Child Day Care Services
29
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
3
Civic and Social Organizations
11
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
7
Collection Agencies
1
Commercial Bakeries
1
Commercial Gravure Printing
1
Commercial Lithographic Printing
8
Commercial Photography
1
Computer and Software Stores
10
Computer Facilities Management Services
1
Computer Systems Design Services
32
Computer Training
2
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
1
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Consumer Lending
7
Convenience Stores
15
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
5
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
3
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Bureaus
1
Credit Unions
9
Dental Laboratories
2
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
4
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
4
Digital Printing
2
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
5
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Display Advertising
2
Drafting Services
6
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
16
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
25
Educational Support Services
2
Electronic Auctions
1
Electronic Computer Manufacturing
3
Electronic Connector Manufacturing
2
Electronic Shopping
5
Elementary and Secondary Schools
11
Emergency and Other Relief Services
1
Employment Placement Agencies
3
Environmental Consulting Services
5
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
3
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
19
Family Clothing Stores
18
Family Planning Centers
1
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fine Arts Schools
9
Fish and Seafood Markets
2
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
1
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
20
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
16
Flooring Contractors
14
Florists
12
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
9
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
3
Framing Contractors
21
Freight Transportation Arrangement
2
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
4
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
3
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
4
Furniture Stores
33
General Automotive Repair
51
General Freight Trucking, Local
11
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
3
General Rental Centers
3
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
25
Glass and Glazing Contractors
4
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
4
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
15
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
4
Hardware Stores
10
Heating Oil Dealers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
8
Home Centers
2
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
4
Home Health Care Services
15
Home Health Equipment Rental
4
Homes for the Elderly
8
Industrial Design Services
1
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages
88
Interior Design Services
8
Internet Service Providers
7
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
17
Janitorial Services
33
Junior Colleges
1
Kidney Dialysis Centers
4
Land Subdivision
11
Landscape Architectural Services
2
Landscaping Services
67
Language Schools
2
Lead Pencil and Art Good Manufacturing
1
Limited-Service Restaurants
82
Limousine Service
1
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
4
Locksmiths
3
Luggage Manufacturing
1
Machine Shops
7
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
5
Marketing Consulting Services
21
Masonry Contractors
21
Materials Recovery Facilities
1
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
1
Medical Laboratories
6
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing
1
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mobile Food Services
1
Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers
16
Motion Picture and Video Production
5
Motorcycle Dealers
7
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
5
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
6
Nail Salons
4
New Car Dealers
19
New Housing Operative Builders
13
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
8
Nursing Care Facilities
16
Office Administrative Services
18
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
6
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
7
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
30
Offices of Dentists
76
Offices of Lawyers
145
Offices of Optometrists
15
Offices of Other Holding Companies
3
Offices of Podiatrists
7
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
17
Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Packaging and Labeling Services
3
Packaging Machinery Manufacturing
1
Packing and Crating
2
Paging
1
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
10
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
33
Passenger Car Rental
6
Periodical Publishers
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services
6
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
1
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
23
Photography Studios, Portrait
9
Portfolio Management
3
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
1
Private Mail Centers
3
Professional Employer Organizations
3
Professional Organizations
1
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
3
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
34
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Goods Rental
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
2
Remediation Services
2
Repossession Services
3
Residential Remodelers
40
Retail Bakeries
1
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
3
Roofing Contractors
20
Rope, Cordage, and Twine Mills
1
Sales Financing
6
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
22
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Sewage Treatment Facilities
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
5
Shoe Stores
19
Siding Contractors
10
Site Preparation Contractors
21
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
22
Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing
1
Software Publishers
11
Solid Waste Collection
1
Sporting Goods Stores
20
Sports and Recreation Instruction
7
Steel Foundries (except Investment)
1
Tax Preparation Services
12
Taxi Service
3
Telecommunications Resellers
4
Telemarketing Bureaus
4
Telephone Answering Services
2
Temporary Help Services
22
Testing Laboratories
3
Textile Machinery Manufacturing
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
18
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire Dealers
13
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
12
Tobacco Stores
1
Translation and Interpretation Services
1
Travel Agencies
10
Truss Manufacturing
3
Used Car Dealers
22
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
7
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Vending Machine Operators
2
Video Tape and Disc Rental
6
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
3
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
5
Web Search Portals
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
42
Window Treatment Stores
3
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Women's Clothing Stores
27
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
1
Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
1

What About Buying an Existing Melbourne Business?

An excellent way to get started in business is to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you can assess several good businesses for sale in Melbourne.

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

Company names should be fun to say, and they should help people to understand what you do and how you differentiate yourself in the market.

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

There's one other important factor when naming a business. Since you are starting a business in Melbourne, it's very important that you make sure no other Florida company is using the business name you want to use.

Don't Skip 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 Contests. You can also get face-to-face free consulting available from your local SCORE chapter in Florida.

Raising Money for Your Startup

Getting your Melbourne business the capital it needs to succeed requires strong organization skills and perseverance. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

Fortunately, this site contains dozens of articles on raising money, including one we recommend entitled Bank Credit Lines.

For Melbourne entrepreneurs who want to raise money for a new venture, browse our List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.

Promoting Your New Company

To grow your Melbourne business, you'll need to have a good marketing plan.

You can learn quite a bit about marketing on our site. Creating a Press Kit is a good read to get your marketing juices flowing. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Ramping Up Sales

Being able to sell is a key enabler to your business success. Whether you are focused on selling local customers in Melbourne or are selling to customers throughout Florida, the United States or even the world, you have to be able to sell.

Not knowing how to sell can result in lost customers and minimal market share. Let us help you refine your selling techniques through our many useful sales advice tips.

Good Sales Strategies is a good article to read, one of dozens in the Selling for Entrepreneurs section of our site.

Some Interesting Melbourne Entrepreneurs

We're compiling a number of interviews with Melbourne entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

Now It's Up To You

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

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

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

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

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