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Small Business Information Hub
Welcome Entrepreneurs, Early Stage Companies, and Small Businesses
The City of Miramar has several resources for entrepreneurs. This Small Business Information Hub is designed to highlight where to start, no matter what stage of business you're in, with a focus on sources for businesses located in the United States. Each topical page features a few recommended free websites and databases. Additionally, we've included links to our in-depth research guides and strategies for solving your business information needs.
Most of the sources are only online, although your local public or academic library may also have access to the material. If you plan to speak and/or meet with one of our Economic Development staff to discuss your plans in greater detail, schedule a One-On-One at our Get-Help Disk.
- Small Business Resources
- Plan Your Business
- Finance Your Business
- Find a Location
- Opening a New Business
- Market Your Business
- Grow The Business
- Exit Your Business
Miramar-Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce
https://www.miramarfl.gov/1851/Miramar-P-Pines-Regional-Chamber-of-Comm
The
South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC)
are a regional planning and public agency whose mission is to work with South Florida’s public, private, non-profit, and civic leadership to create a better future for South Florida. They provide administrative and staff support for several regional partnerships and programs. One of the program's areas of success is the Revolving Loan Fund Program. These programs offer low-interest rate loans to small and medium-sized businesses that are not entirely served by conventional lenders. Loans ranging from $50,000 to $300,000 are available to profitable businesses for business expansion and job creation. To be eligible for a loan with the SFRPC, the business must be located within Miami-Dade, Broward, or Monroe counties and have been denied financing by a conventional lender. The funds can be used to buy equipment, finance inventory, renovate or buy space, or provide needed working capital. For additional information, please visit http://sfregionalcouncil.org/.
Prospera
is a nonprofit organization specializing in providing bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs trying to establish or expand their business. They offer a variety of services specially designed for Hispanic small business owners, to empower them through training, consulting, grants, and access to capital. Prospera is able to serve entrepreneurs and the community--without charging for its services--thanks to investments in its mission by generous corporations, individuals, and government agencies. Clients receive assistance from in-house business consultants, subcontracted experts, workshop presenters, and volunteers from various industries who serve on advisory committees. They also offer access to a network of corporate sponsors, government funders and financial institutions with a desire to support small and minority-owned businesses. For additional information, please visit http://www.prosperausa.org/.
ACCION
is a microfinance organization that lends with the mission of empowering business owners with access to working capital and financial education. This is different from a bank or credit union. It is a recognized leader in small business lending offering business loans up to $50,000 and financial education throughout the United States. For additional information, please visit http://accionnews.org/miami/.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
is an independent agency of the federal government created to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SBA provides a number of financial assistance programs for small businesses that have been specifically designed to meet key financing needs, including debt financing, surety bonds, and equity financing. For additional information, please visit https://www.sba.gov/.
Small Business Development Center of Fort Lauderdale (SBDC)
is part of a statewide service network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA, accredited by the national Association of SBDCs and hosted by the University of West Florida. They offer one-on-one consultation with trained and experienced business consultants that will help with: international market planning, export market planning, government contracting development and strategic business planning. For additional information, please visit http://sbdcfortlauderdale.org/.
Creation Station
is Broward County Library’s group of co-working spaces offering free public access to meeting rooms, high-tech equipment, business resources and expert assistance for creating and growing your business. Creation Stations are located at libraries throughout the county and include a business co-working hub, gadget lab, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, science lab and music studio equipped with a sound room and engineering booth. Users may access various state-of-the-art prototyping tools such as 3D printers and virtual reality equipment as well as special features including audio/video production and videoconferencing gear. Business seminars and computer classes are also available. For additional information, please visit https://www.broward.org/Library/Pages/CreationStation.aspx
GrowFL
Broward County Office of Economic & Small Business Development
https://www.broward.org/EconDev/Pages/default.aspx
Under Loan Resources add National Development Council (NDC)
Plan Your Business
Turn your idea into a business. Part of the planning involves researching the market: What's the competition? What trends are happening in the industry? Who's your target market? The other piece is actually writing the business plan, a document that provides details on your proposed business for the first few years.
Tips
Starting points:
- Write down your business idea -- be as specific as possible.
- Do a quick internet search for your business idea. What else is out there? How is your business idea different?
- Brainstorm or compile a useful list of questions to prompt you to add details to your business plan.
Suggested strategies:
- Have a place to keep all of your notes and a running to-do list.
- Visit the Small Business Administration's website to review helpful information on starting a business.
Finance Your Business
See also our list of resources for financial relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the introduction page of this guide.
There are a number of options for getting money to start a small business, such as self-investment (using or borrowing against your own assets), borrowing from family and friends, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, venture capital, and angel investors. There are two types of financing: equity financing, where you receive funds in exchange for partial ownership in the company; and debt financing, where you receive funds that must be repaid. Grants and awards, in which you receive money that does not need to be repaid, may also be available.
Tips
Starting points:
- Use a start-up cost worksheet (like one from Start Your Own Business reference book on p. 172, or one from the Small Business Administration website [pdf])
- Identify what type of financing you want to pursue.
- In addition to information about your own business, research the lending institution to make sure it matches your needs.
Suggested strategies:
- Start local. Find local banks, city or county economic development offices and regional business competitions.
- Use associations geared to a particular demographic of business owners (women, veterans), or business type to see if they offer grants or loans.
OTHER RESOURCES:
- Small Business Association 7(A) Loan Program
- South Florida Regional Planning Council - Revolving Loan Program
Find a Location
Selecting a location for your business involves a variety of factors. The building itself may include certain amenities or perks, and there's the decision to rent or buy. The location should be convenient to your target market and strategically placed in relation to your competition. If you are manufacturing a product for distribution, the location should be close to your distributors or close to transportation. Planning on an online-only business? Selecting a domain name and creating a user-friendly website is important for attracting customers, in addition to making sure your website is findable on major search engines.
Tips
Starting points:
- Virtual location: Do a search to see if a domain name is available.
- Physical location: Identify a region based on your market research that would meet a need in the area.
- Physical location: Search Here for commercial property or Schedule One-On-One with an Economic Development staff to speak and/or meet with you to discuss your plans in greater detail.
Suggested strategies:
- Use searchable directories like ReferenceUSA's map feature to find a geographic gap in the competition or complementary businesses you want to be located near.
- Use SimplyAnalytics (a subscription database) or Census BusinessBuilder (a free website) to find geographic regions based on certain criteria. For example, if you are starting a daycare center, locate areas with families or near businesses with a high number of employees that do not have their own daycare centers.
Opening a New Business
The City of Miramar is the right place for business with an ideal location to open a new business or relocate your existing one.
The following information can help you understand the steps you should take before open:
Checklist
- Obtain a Certificate of Use.
- Apply for Appropriate Permits & Obtain required inspections.
- Understand & Pay Applicable Permit Fees.
- Apply for Business Tax Receipts.
SIMPLE STEPS TO JUMPSTART YOUR BUSINESS IN MIRAMAR
STEP 1
CONSULT WITH THE CITY’S PLANNING & REDEVELOPMENT DIVISION
Before signing a lease, please contact a City of Miramar planner to make sure that the location is zoned for the business you wish to operate.
STEP 2
COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FOR ZONING CERTIFICATE OF USE
- This application is required for the following:
- New businesses
- An existing business at a new location
- Adding/changing the type of use of a legally established business
- Transfer of business ownership
- The “Zoning Certificate of Use” application may be picked up at the Planning & Redevelopment Division, Building Division or downloaded from the City of Miramar’s website at: https://www.miramarfl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4843/Zoning-Certificate-of-Use-PDF?bidId=
- Submit the completed application to the Building Division, located at 2200 Civic Center Place, 1st Floor.
While you are here: You may want to visit the Planning & Redevelopment Division to ask questions about zoning, signage, and business incentives.
Special note: If you are planning for any interior work or changing the use of space (for example, from retail to the restaurant), it is best to check with the Engineering Services Department to see if water and wastewater impact fees apply in your case. This should be done before submitting a building permit for any interior work.
STEP 3
COMPLETE THE BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT APPLICATION
A. Any person wishing to engage in or manage any business, profession or occupation in the City of Miramar, including a home-based business, is required by ordinance to acquire a City BusinessTax Receipt.
B. Please contact the Business Tax Receipt office at (954) 602-3061 to determine which application is applicable to your business. For further information and to download an application visit: http://www.miramarfl. gov/201/Business-Tax-Occupational-Licenses
C. Submit the completed application to the Business Tax Receipt Office, located at 2300 Civic Center Place (Cashier’s Office). While you are here, you can open a utilities account at the water billing cashier window.
STEP 4
COMPLETE THE WATER BILLING NEW ACCOUNT APPLICATION AND UTILITY GUARANTEE OF PAYMENT DEPOSIT
A. An application is required to establish new Water Billing services (water, sewer, and sanitation).
B. Please contact our Customer Service Division at 954-602-HELP (4357) or email wbcustomerservice@miramarfl.gov
for further information.
To download the application, visit the Water Billing Division website at https://www.miramarfl.gov/205/ Water-Billing-Division
C. Submit the completed application to the Water Billing Division located at 2300 Civic Center Place, Miramar, FL. 33025 or 6700 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, FL 33023, or email wbcustomerservice@miramarfl.gov
This section provides general information on the departments that may pertain to your business needs.
Please note that the information contained within may be amended or revised throughout the year. Please be sure to check for the latest information by contacting the appropriate City Department.
Most of the City’s Departments/Divisions are open from Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Offices are closed on Fridays. However, please contact each Department/ Division to confirm their office hours.
Market Your Business
Marketing is much more than just advertising—it's all of the actions you take to promote and sell your products or services. Marketing books often talk about the 4 p's of the marketing mix: price, promotion, place, and product. This includes areas like branding, social media advertising, and cold call selling. As part of deciding promotional strategies, consider your goals and determine what benchmarks will let you know it's a success. While social media can be a free way to advertise, paying for a direct mailing coupon campaign might bring actual customers in your neighborhood to your store.
Figuring out what appeals to your customers involves doing both primary and secondary market research. Primary research is going out and surveying your potential customers on their needs and wants, what would motivate them to use your product, and what product features are most attractive. Secondary research is using already collected research, such as information from census data, market databases, and published survey results.
Tips
Starting points:
- Research costs for your product or service to calculate the price to sell to customers.
- Decide what promotion strategies will best reach your target audience.
- Find examples of similar products or services. How do they promote their product? What works and what doesn't work?
Suggested strategies:
- Search for case studies based on the type of business (for example, coffee shop AND promotions) or type of promotion (small business AND coupons).
- Trade publications will often publish surveys on topics relevant to the industry.
Grow The Business
Marketing is much more than just advertising—it's all of the actions you take to promote and sell your products or services. Marketing books often talk about the 4 p's of the marketing mix: price, promotion, place, and product. This includes areas like branding, social media advertising, and cold call selling. As part of deciding promotional strategies, consider your goals and determine what benchmarks will let you know it's a success. While social media can be a free way to advertise, paying for a direct mailing coupon campaign might bring actual customers in your neighborhood to your store.
Figuring out what appeals to your customers involves doing both primary and secondary market research. Primary research is going out and surveying your potential customers on their needs and wants, what would motivate them to use your product, and what product features are most attractive. Secondary research is using already collected research, such as information from census data, market databases, and published survey results. Visit our "Grow Your Business Page"
Tips
Starting points:
Research costs for your product or service to calculate the price to sell to customers.
Decide what promotion strategies will best reach your target audience.
Find examples of similar products or services. How do they promote their product? What works and what doesn't work?
Suggested strategies:
Search for case studies based on the type of business (for example, coffee shop AND promotions) or type of promotion (small business AND coupons).
Trade publications will often publish surveys on topics relevant to the industry.
Exit Your Business
Exiting a business can refer to a variety of situations, most often, selling a business to a third party. However, exits can also happen by transferring ownership to a relative or member of your management team or by distributing ownership in shares to your employees. Mergers involve agreements to combine your company with another company. Finally, liquidation is selling pieces of your company that may be worth more than the whole. Business exits aren't failures; some entrepreneurs start businesses with the purpose of reselling them for a profit. Other "exits" involve bankruptcy or closing a business at a loss.
Tips
Starting points:
Read about different types of exit plans, and consider your own goals for your business (For example, if you plan to run your business until you die, what happens to it? If you plan to retire but still have your business continue, who will take over? If you plan to make a profit from your business idea by selling it to another company, what is your target price?)