Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Florida: A Place Where Opportunity Thrives

Dear Entrepreneur:

As Governor, I am committed to ensuring Florida is a place where opportunity thrives.

It is often said that states serve as laboratories of democracy, and we are amid a great experiment among the states regarding taxation and government spending. The result has been a migration of wealth and commerce from states that tax heavily, spend recklessly, and regulate excessively to those, such as Florida, that do not.

Our state is open for business and we welcome your success. We will not chase away your creative energy with demagoguery or ignorance. Instead, we will support your tireless efforts by reducing government cost and interference wherever plausible, fostering talent by improving our education system, and ensuring our warm weather is complemented by a healthy infrastructure and clean environment.

To this point in my administration, I am pleased with our progress on all fronts:

  • I requested more than $300 million in tax cuts from the Legislature and held the state’s first “Deregathon” to target for repeal unnecessary barriers to employment.
  • I laid out a plan to make Florida the number one state for workforce education by 2030 and proposed the Equal Opportunity Scholarship to ensure all children, regardless of their background or financial circumstance, have access to a world-class education.
  • I committed to securing $2.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades restoration and water resources, which is a billion dollar increase over the previous four years.

Beyond these efforts, I would like to emphasize that Florida stands ready to provide special assistance to small businesses, which are the lifeblood of Florida’s economy.

This small business resource guide contains useful contacts and outlines critical services available to support your goals, whether you are looking to start or expand a business in the Sunshine State. From organizations like CareerSource Florida and Enterprise Florida to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the state’s network of Small Business Development Centers, our team is constantly working to ensure we cultivate an environment in which small businesses can succeed.

We have so much going for us here in Florida, but there is always more to do. I will continue to work to ensure Florida remains the most opportunity-friendly state in the country.

Honorable Ron DeSantis
Governor, State of Florida
Chairman, Enterprise Florida