Tampa is an interesting place to set up a new business, as regardless of what type of business you have or which niche it operates in, you are likely to have a diverse range of customers. To make the most of this audience, you will need to make sure that you set your business up correctly so you can be up and running as fast as possible.
If you are just starting from scratch and don’t know where to start, here is a quick rundown of what you need to do. Of course, if you are starting in a specialized or regulated industry, there may be some additional steps, but this should cover the basics.
#1 Structure and license
You need to decide on the best structure for your business, and this will vary depending on how many people are involved and what your ambitions are. You might wish to act as a sole proprietor, a partnership, or become a limited company or one of the other business set-ups that exist. You should also, at this point, register your business name with the Florida secretary of state to make sure that nobody else starts using the same business name.
You will also need to apply for any appropriate business licenses or permits that you will require. If you are not quite sure if you need any permits or don’t know what that entails, you need to check with the Tampa City Clerk’s office or the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) for clarification.
#2 Business location
If you are not running your business from home, you will need to find either an office or an industrial unit to use as a base. The location of this base will depend on a number of factors that will be shaped by what type of business you have. Anything that is purely office-based will not require a specific location, and you can choose anywhere that suits your rental budget. If, however, you require a brick-and-mortar retail location, you would have to opt for a more expensive high-street unit.
#3 Make sure you have the right tech
An office-based business will have different tech depending on what type of service or product they offer, but one thing that will be vital to all of them will be the connection to the internet. You are likely to find that the best internet providers in Tampa are the ones with the fastest speeds and the best track record for reliability.
These two elements are absolutely vital as greater speeds can contribute to greater efficiency, and, of course, reliability means that you won’t let a customer down due to internet issues. You should also look at making sure you have the right cybersecurity precautions in place to go with your new internet service. Antivirus software and firewalls are a bare minimum, and you should consult a cybersecurity company to make sure that you have the right amount of protection.
