Florida Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Cape Coral, Florida

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

Is Becoming a Business Owner Right for You?

Running your own business is demanding, much harder than working as an employee. Are you sure you are ready to take on this challenge?

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 Cape Coral. Get their take on what it's really like to be an entrepreneur.
  • We recommend reading Why Small Businesses Fail. For aspiring new entrepreneurs, it's a must read article.
  • Get feedback from somebody whom you trust. That's the best way to get a truly objective assessment as to whether others think you have what it takes.

Cape Coral, Florida Demographic Information

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

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

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
7206
5-9 Employees
1473
10-19 Employees
951
20-49 Employees
567
50-99 Employees
147
100-249 Employees
48
250-499 Employees
9
500-999 Employees
3
1000+ Employees
3
All Cape Coral Businesses
10407

As a new Cape Coral entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Cape Coral 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
Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Amusement and Theme Parks
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
4
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
10
Art Dealers
4
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
1
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
1
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
12
Baked Goods Stores
1
Barber Shops
2
Beauty Salons
38
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
5
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Boat Building
3
Boat Dealers
9
Book Stores
2
Bowling Centers
1
Building Inspection Services
4
Business Associations
4
Cafeterias
1
Canvas and Related Product Mills
5
Car Washes
9
Casino Hotels
1
Caterers
4
Cemeteries and Crematories
2
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
16
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
1
Civic and Social Organizations
9
Clothing Accessories Stores
2
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
3
Collection Agencies
3
Commercial Lithographic Printing
3
Commercial Photography
1
Commercial Screen Printing
1
Commodity Contracts Dealing
2
Computer and Software Stores
3
Computer Storage Device Manufacturing
1
Computer Systems Design Services
9
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
1
Consumer Lending
3
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
2
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
1
Copper Foundries (except Die-Casting)
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Couriers
2
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
2
Credit Unions
2
Custom Computer Programming Services
11
Dental Laboratories
11
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
7
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
2
Direct Mail Advertising
3
Direct Title Insurance Carriers
19
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
1
Discount Department Stores
2
Drafting Services
7
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
10
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
23
Educational Support Services
3
Electric Power Distribution
2
Electrical Contractors
50
Electronic Shopping
8
Employment Placement Agencies
2
Engineering Services
25
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
24
Facilities Support Services
2
Family Clothing Stores
5
Fine Arts Schools
2
Finish Carpentry Contractors
63
Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
9
Floor Covering Stores
10
Flooring Contractors
25
Florists
8
Food Service Contractors
1
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Framing Contractors
14
Freight Transportation Arrangement
5
Fruit and Vegetable Markets
1
Full-Service Restaurants
78
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
2
Furniture Stores
12
General Automotive Repair
39
General Freight Trucking, Local
21
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
2
General Rental Centers
1
General Warehousing and Storage
1
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
13
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
2
Grantmaking Foundations
1
Graphic Design Services
12
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hardware Stores
4
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
2
Home Centers
4
Home Health Care Services
5
Home Health Equipment Rental
3
Homes for the Elderly
5
Household Appliance Stores
4
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Mold Manufacturing
1
Interior Design Services
6
Internet Service Providers
2
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investigation Services
2
Investment Advice
5
Iron and Steel Mills
1
Iron Foundries
1
Jewelry Stores
10
Kidney Dialysis Centers
1
Land Subdivision
11
Landscape Architectural Services
4
Landscaping Services
77
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
3
Limited-Service Restaurants
57
Linen Supply
3
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
1
Locksmiths
3
Machine Shops
3
Mail-Order Houses
2
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marinas
7
Masonry Contractors
12
Media Buying Agencies
1
Media Representatives
1
Medical Laboratories
2
Men's Clothing Stores
3
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Mobile Food Services
1
Motion Picture and Video Production
2
Motor Vehicle Towing
4
Motorcycle Dealers
2
Museums
1
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
1
Nail Salons
3
Navigational Services to Shipping
1
New Housing Operative Builders
23
Newspaper Publishers
1
Nonresidential Property Managers
2
Nursing Care Facilities
4
Office Administrative Services
11
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
1
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
3
Offices of Chiropractors
25
Offices of Dentists
31
Offices of Lawyers
37
Offices of Optometrists
7
Offices of Other Holding Companies
1
Offices of Podiatrists
5
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
30
Optical Goods Stores
1
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
3
Paint and Wallpaper Stores
6
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
49
Passenger Car Rental
1
Payroll Services
1
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
6
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
11
Photography Studios, Portrait
2
Political Organizations
1
Portfolio Management
2
Precision Turned Product Manufacturing
2
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
11
Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing
2
Real Estate Credit
20
Real Estate Investment Trusts
1
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Reinsurance Carriers
1
Residential Property Managers
34
Residential Remodelers
53
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
12
Savings Institutions
3
Saw Blade and Handsaw Manufacturing
1
School and Employee Bus Transportation
1
Securities Brokerage
11
Security Guards and Patrol Services
1
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
1
Shoe Stores
4
Siding Contractors
9
Sign Manufacturing
2
Site Preparation Contractors
35
Software Publishers
2
Solid Waste Collection
1
Solid Waste Landfill
1
Sporting Goods Stores
11
Sports and Recreation Instruction
6
Tax Preparation Services
7
Taxi Service
1
Telemarketing Bureaus
1
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
1
Temporary Help Services
6
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
1
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
37
Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
19
Tobacco Stores
3
Travel Agencies
7
Truss Manufacturing
1
Used Car Dealers
7
Used Household and Office Goods Moving
2
Used Merchandise Stores
7
Veterinary Services
9
Video Tape and Disc Rental
8
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
2
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
1
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
29
Window Treatment Stores
7
Women's Clothing Stores
7

What About Franchising Opportunities?

Visit the business district of Cape Coral and you'll see that franchises make up a large percentage of local businesses. But is franchising the right option for you?

We advise the entrepreneurs we work with to evaluate the possibility of your buying a franchise opportunity. To help you learn more about franchising, we've gathered a ton of articles on franchising, including Franchising Mistakes. Get a thorough education on franchising by browsing all of our Articles on Franchising.

To learn about specific franchise opportunities, check out our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Ruby Tuesday, Inc. and Woody's Chicago Style. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Sports Franchises and Carpet Retail Franchises.

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

Have You Considered Buying an Existing Cape Coral Business?

If you have some capital to play with, you may want to Buy a Business in Florida. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Cape Coral.

Before buying a business, be sure to read this article: Buying a Business.

Company Formation in Cape Coral, Florida

It's essential that you are forming a legal entity that operates independently from you. The principal advantage of forming your new business as a legal entity is that it separates your business liabilities from your personal liabilities.

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

Incorporating is a very common way to legally create a business entity. 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, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in Florida. In fact, you are allowed to 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 Company Formation. You should also consider getting professional assistance from your business lawyer. On a final note, since you will be starting a business in Cape Coral, Florida, our web page covering Incorporating in Florida may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Florida.

Raising Capital for Your Venture

Raising money to fund your new Cape Coral business will be harder than you might expect. To obtain business financing, you will need to hear a lot of rejections before you finally find a funding solution that works for you.

Take advantage of our many articles on raising capital, such as Getting a Small Business Loan.

For Cape Coral entrepreneurs who need startup capital, we have assembled a List of Florida Angel Investors and our List of Florida Venture Capital Firms.

Increase Your Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Successful entrepreneurs know that they don't know everything.

Given that you are starting a business in Cape Coral, Florida, you should get information on some of the learning programs at local Florida educational institutions. You should also check if there are any Cape Coral networking organizations.

Moving Forward

As an entrepreneur in Cape Coral, you won't be working for the boss anymore. You are the boss.

From this point on, you control your own destiny.

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

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

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