Opening a Business in Pensacola, Florida

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

Are You Sure You Want to Do This?

Before quitting your day job, consider your entrepreneurial instincts and capabilities.

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

• Talk to other entrepreneurs in Pensacola. Ask them candidly what it's like to run a business.
• We recommend reading Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
• Seek the advice of somebody who knows you well. The people who know you best are often in the best position to tell you bluntly whether you will be a good entrepreneur.

Choosing the Right Company to Start

An important decision is what kind of business you want to start. We recommend that you read Finding Your Niche in Life.

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 Frankfurters & Rolls Business guide or our Starting a Landscape Equipment & Supplies Dealers Business guide.

Don't forget that your new startup will be located in Pensacola. Some businesses will do better in Pensacola than others. Study Pensacola demographics and do a competitive analysis as part of your startup planning process.

Pensacola, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

As a new Pensacola entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Pensacola 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.

Is a Franchise Opportunity Right For You?

Visit the business district of Pensacola and you'll conclude that many business owners have opted to buy a franchise, rather than starting a business on their own. But is franchising the right option for you?

Our recommendation is that you look into purchasing a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Buying an Existing Franchise. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include SaveItNow! Franchising Systems LLC and COIT Drapery & Carpet Cleaners. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cleaning and Maintenance Franchises and Personal Services Franchises.

Note on Pensacola Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Pensacola, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

What About Buying an Existing Pensacola Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Pensacola.

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

Where to Get Money to Start a Company

Getting your Pensacola business the capital it needs to succeed is very difficult due to the ongoing business credit crunch. If you don't have a rich uncle to fund you, you'll need to be creative in how you approach your fundraising efforts.

To learn about raising money, we recommend you read the fundraising articles on our site, such as 504 Loans.

For Pensacola entrepreneurs who need startup capital, browse our List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.

Improving Your Entrepreneurial Skillset

Good entrepreneurs recognize that they need to continually improve.

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

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Pensacola. 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 Pensacola businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Pensacola, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Pensacola, Florida

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

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