Business Funding in Florida

A state with several different business climates

Miami, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville and the Panhandle each run on a different mix of trade, tourism, healthcare and services.

Miami and South Florida are gateways for international trade, hospitality, real estate services and healthcare. Orlando is built around theme parks, conventions and the businesses that serve them. Tampa Bay combines finance, ports, healthcare and marine trades. Jacksonville has logistics, banking and a naval presence. Southwest Florida and the Keys depend on seasonal visitors, and North Florida includes agriculture, forestry and the Panhandle's military bases.

Tourism and snowbird seasons

Many Florida businesses earn the majority of their revenue in the winter months and operate on thin margins in summer.

Restaurants, boat charters, hotels and retailers staff up before the high season and carry costs through the slow summer. Illustrative example: a Naples restaurant spends $45,000 in October on staff, inventory and patio upgrades. If the season adds $110,000 in sales and $28,000 in profit, repaying about $50,000 works. A flexible structure matters, so look at revenue-based financing and restaurant funding.

Hurricane season is a cash flow event

Storms can interrupt revenue, damage inventory and delay insurance payments, so many Florida owners keep a line of credit open before they need it.

Between June and November, an owner may face closures, repairs and a gap before claims pay. Setting up a business line of credit while business is normal gives you access to funds in a bad week. Do not assume insurance will cover lost sales or that funding will be available during a crisis. Plan early.

Our guide to stress testing payments if revenue drops helps you size a safe amount.

Construction, marine and home services

Florida's building boom supports contractors and trades, but many funders restrict residential remodeling and new residential construction.

Commercial trades, pool and landscape companies, marine services and air conditioning firms are often easier to place than residential builders. Equipment financing covers trucks, lifts and boats. See home services and equipment financing. Long-haul trucking is also restricted by many funders.

Import, export and distribution

Port Miami, Port Everglades and Jacksonville drive a large wholesale and logistics sector with long payment cycles.

Distributors buy inventory, pay freight and wait on customers. Working capital can cover the gap when the payback is clear. See wholesale and distribution funding for how funders view these files.

State resources

Florida Commerce, the state's economic development agency, and the SBA's Florida district offices provide programs and counseling.

The SBA has separate district offices for North and South Florida. Check sba.gov for the one covering your county, and ask Florida Commerce about current state programs. Details and limits change.

Comparing offers before the season starts

The best time to compare funding is before you need it, when you can weigh total cost and payment size without pressure.

Florida owners often decide in a rush: a storm, a lease opportunity or a sudden surge in bookings. Rushed decisions tend to cost more. Convert any offer to total dollars repaid and a monthly equivalent, then check it against your slowest month. Our guides on what a 1.3 factor rate costs and comparing two funding offers make that quick.

Applying costs nothing and does not affect your credit score, so you can see real offers well ahead of a deadline.

Eastern time for most of the state

Most of Florida shares our Eastern time, so applications are reviewed in real time during your business day.

The western Panhandle is on Central time and is one hour behind. Either way, send the application plus three months of business bank statements together. Approved, complete files can be funded the same business day.

We consider 500+ FICO, 6+ months in business and $20,000+ monthly revenue. Apply online; it uses a soft credit pull.