The following guidelines provide basic information on local, state and federal requirements needed to start a business in Florida. This is not a complete list of regulatory requirements. Excellent informational websites for entrepreneurs interested in starting a business include http://www.dos.state.fl.us/startbus and http://www.sunbiz.org.
Choose from the following categories to go directly to that information:
Licensing
Sole proprietorships, Corporations, and Partnerships
Fictitious Names
Taxes
State Procurement Opportunities
Franchise and Business Opportunities
State and Federal Trademarks
Sources of Information and Assistance
Licensing
State
Many businesses and professions are licensed by the state. To determine the appropriate licensing department for your particular business, contact:
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0750
850. 487. 2252
Local
Local Occupational Licenses are required for most businesses and are issued by counties and cities. Check with your local city clerk and county tax collector. Local governments also issue certificates of occupancy and zoning permits to operate a business in a particular area. Check with your county planning department and the local building inspector for local regulations.
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Sole Proprietorships, Corporations, and Partnerships
To get a business up and running, you must first decide on its legal structure. Your choice determines what kind of taxes the business must pay, who's liable, and, in part, what forms to file. There are three main choices: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, or Corporation. In a sole proprietorship, the owner has absolute authority over all business decisions. In a partnership, two or more partners share control of the business.
Any entity that transacts business as a corporation is required to file documents of incorporation or authorization with the Division of Corporations and pay the filing fee. Contact:
Florida Dept. of State, Division of Corporations
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
850. 488. 9000
www.sunbiz.org
If you are forming an S corporation, you must also obtain the necessary forms from the Internal Revenue Service in addition to contacting the Florida Department of State. Call 800. 829. 1040 or your local IRS office.
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Fictitious Names
If a business will use any name other than the legal name of the owner, or a corporation will use a name other than its legal corporate name, a fictitious name (also referred to as a D/B/A) must be registered with the state. The fictitious name must be advertised one time in a newspaper in the county where the applicant's principal place of business will be located. Forms and additional information are available from:
Florida Dept. of State, Fictitious Name Registration
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
850. 487. 6058
www.sunbiz.org
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Taxes
Taxes on your business and other reporting requirements will depend on the nature of the business, its form of legal organization, and whether or not there are employees. Major federal, state and local business taxes include:
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
A Federal Employer Identification number (obtained by filing form SS-4) is issued to most businesses. Necessary federal forms and small business tax kits are available from local IRS offices or by calling 800. 829. 3676. The IRS can provide information to employers on withholding and Social Security taxes and federal unemployment taxes. Tax workshops for small business owners are also conducted in major Florida cities. Call 800. 829. 1040 with questions and requests for assistance. Forms and publications are also available for downloading from www.irs.ustreas.gov.
Florida Department of Revenue
All businesses that sell certain items and collect Florida sales tax must pay a $5 registration fee and obtain a Florida Sales and Use Tax Number (form DR-1) from the Florida Dept. of Revenue. The 6% Florida sales tax and any local discretionary taxes collected must then be reported to the Department. Other taxes collected by the Department include intangibles taxes and corporate income taxes. Local governments also collect tangible, personal property, and special taxes. For more information, contact one of the DOR offices located in major Florida cities, call 800. 352. 3671 or visit the DOR's website at www.fcn.state.fl.us/dor.
Florida Dept. of Labor and Employment Security
Businesses with one or more employees may need to apply for a state Unemployment Tax Number. Employers pay a quarterly tax based on the gross quarterly payroll of their employees. Forms and information are available from: Dept. of Labor and Employment Security, Division of Unemployment Compensation
107 East Madison Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0212
800. 482. 8293
www.fdles.state.fl.us/uc
This department also handles workers' compensation. If a business has four or more employees, or if a construction-related business has any employees, workers' compensation coverage is required. For more information, contact your insurance carrier or:
Florida Dept. of Labor and Employment Security
Division of Workers' Compensation, Bureau of Compliance
201 Montgomery Building
2562 Executive Center Circle East
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0611
850. 488. 2333 or 800. 742. 2214
www.fdles.state.fl.us/wc
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State Procurement Opportunities
Bidder's List
The Dept. of Management Services, Division of Purchasing, coordinates the purchase of commodities and contractual services for state agencies. For more information regarding registering to do business with state agencies, contact:
Dept. of Management Services
State Purchasing
4050 Esplanade Way
Suite 301
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950
850. 487. 4634
http://purchasing.state.fl.us
Minority Business Enterprise Program
Florida's Minority Business Enterprise Program, operated by the Minority Business Advocacy and Assistance Office, strives to increase the participation of minority business enterprises in the economic life of the state through involvement as vendors and contractors in the state procurement system. It encourages the creation, development and entry of new and diversified minority-owned business into the mainstream marketplace. The MBAAO certifies minority businesses, sponsors training workshops for agencies, holds regional workshops for minority business enterprises, and approves state agencies' and contractors utilization plans. For more information, contact:
Dept. of Labor and Employment Security, MBAAO
2102 Capital Circle SE
Hartman Bldg., Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2152
850. 487. 0915
http://mbaao.fdles.state.fl.us
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Franchise and Business Opportunities
Under Federal Trade Commission Rules, a person selling a franchise or business opportunity must give the buyer a detailed disclosure document. Florida law requires sellers to file certain information and pay a filing fee. For additional information when buying or selling a franchise or business opportunity contact:
Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Business Opportunities Section
227 North Bronough St.
City Center Building, Suite 7200
Tallahassee, FL 32301
800. 435. 7352 (in Florida)
850. 488. 2221 (outside Florida)
http://doacs.state.fl.us
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State and Federal Trademarks
A trademark or service mark may be registered with the Florida Dept. of Corporations for use and protection only in the state of Florida. For protection of your trademark in the entire U.S., including Florida, you must register it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For information regarding registering in Florida call 850. 487. 6051 or check the Division of Corporation's website at www.sunbiz.org. For more information regarding federal registration, contact:
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Crystal Plaza 3
Suite 2002
Washington, DC 20231
800. 786. 9199
www.uspto.gov
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Sources of information and assistance
U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. SBA provides financial, technical, and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. Last year, the SBA offered assistance to more than one million small business owners. It provides counseling, seminars, managerial, and technical assistance through SCORE and Small Business Development Network, distributes publications on starting and operating a business, and provides guaranteed loans to new and existing businesses. For more information on these and other SBA programs, contact the nearest district office or visit the SBA's website. To locate the SCORE chapter nearest you, call 800. 634. 0245 or visit www.score.org.
South Florida:
SBA
100 S. Biscayne Blvd.
7th Floor
Miami, FL 33131
305. 536. 5521
North Florida:
SBA
7825 Baymeadows Way
Ste. 100-B
Jacksonville, FL 32256
904. 443. 1900
Black Business Investment Board (BBIB)
Through its seven Black Business Investment Corporation offices located throughout the state, the Florida BBIB fosters the creation an growth of black-owned businesses and aggressively promotes an atmosphere conducive to their development. To locate the BBIC office nearest you, contact:
Florida Black Business Investment Board
1711 South Gadsden St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850. 487. 4850
www.fbbib.com
Enterprise Florida
Enterprise Florida is a partnership between Florida's government and business leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. It has several programs that specifically target Florida's small businesses. For more information, see their website at www.floridabusiness.com
Florida Supplier Services Program: Matches small to medium manufacturers with exporters by product and country/market region interest. Contact Enterprise Florida's Office of International Trade.
305. 569. 2650
Export Counseling Services: Direct individual counseling is available throughout the state through seven field offices and staff. Contact Enterprise Florida's Office of International Trade
305. 569. 2650
Small Business Technology Growth Fund: This program, also known as the Florida Capital Access Plus Program, helps small businesses find long-term debt financing. Contact Enterprise Florida's Technology Development Office.
407. 316. 4600
Variable-Rate Enterprise Bonds: This program helps more mature, expanding small manufacturers obtain low financing costs. Contact Enterprise Florida's Capital Development Office.
407. 316. 4692
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Manufacturing and Technology Assistance
Florida Manufacturing Technology Centers: FMTCs are designed to smaller manufacturers become more efficient and competitive. To find the Manufacturing Technology Center nearest you, call 407. 599. 4100
Innovation and Commercialization Centers: ICC programs help technology-based businesses during the critical period between the research and development phase of a technology and the point where the company seeks seed capital to gear up for production and sales. ICC offices are located in Boca Raton, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa.
Minority Business Development Centers: MBDCs offer a variety of services to minority-owned businesses, from initial counseling to the more complex issues of business planning, growth and loan packaging. Initial consultations are free, but fees are charged for most services. For additional information, contact the MBDC nearest you:
Miami: 305. 591. 7355
Ft. Lauderdale: 954. 485. 5333
Small Business Development Centers
The Florida Small Business Development Network (FSBDC) provides quality business and economic development assistance to existing businesses and prospective business owners to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity and improved management skills. The Network links the resources of federal, state, and local governments with the state educational system and the private sector to provide management and technical training, and offers business development programs to meet the specialized needs of the diverse Florida business community. The FSBDC Network operates in partnership with the U.S. SBA and the Florida State University System. For more information, visit www.floridasbdc.com or call the SBDC nearest you.
Florida SBDC Locations by City:
FSBDC State Director's Office - Pensacola
Phone: 850. 595. 6060 or 800. 644. SBDC
Fax: 850. 595. 6070
Bartow:
Phone: 941. 534. 4370
Fax: 941. 534. 0886
Boca Raton:
Phone: 561. 362. 5620
Fax: 561. 362. 5623
Bonita Springs:
Phone: 941. 948. 4040
Fax: 941. 948. 1814
Daytona Beach:
Phone: 904. 947. 5463
Fax: 904. 258. 3846
Fort Lauderdale:
Phone: 954. 771. 6520
Fax: 954. 229. 4120
Fort Pierce:
Phone: 561. 462. 4756
Fax: 561. 462. 4830
Fort Walton Beach:
Phone: 850. 863. 6543
Fax: 850. 863. 6564
Gainesville:
Phone: 352. 377. 5621
Fax: 352. 377. 0288
Jacksonville:
Phone: 904. 620. 2476
Fax: 904. 620. 2567
Lynn Haven:
Phone: 850. 271. 1108
Fax: 850. 271. 1109
Melbourne:
Phone: 321. 632. 1111 x33201
Fax: 321. 634. 3721
Miami:
Phone: 786. 388. 9040
Fax: 786. 388. 9060
Orlando:
Phone: 407. 823. 5554
Fax: 407. 384. 2868
Ocala:
Phone: 352. 622. 8763
Fax: 352. 351. 1037
Pensacola:
Phone: 850. 595. 5480
Fax: 850. 595. 5487
Sanford:
Phone: 407. 321. 3495
Fax: 407. 321. 4184
Tallahassee:
Phone: 850. 599. 3407
Fax: 850. 561. 2049
Tampa:
Phone: 813. 905. 5800
Fax: 813. 905. 5801
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To: Key West New Business Guide 1999-2000
