Small Business Assistance

Are You Looking to Open a Small Business?

As the Chamber of Commerce, we are always getting calls and inquiries about what it takes to open up a business and make it successful. While we are always excited to take your calls and answer your questions, this page will serve as a living, breathing resource for the community to utilize for all of their business needs. Here you will find news, tools, videos and resources to learn more about things like writing a business plan, local organizations that can help you be successful and much more.

Starting a Business in Winter Haven

We might be a little biased, but opening a business in Winter Haven is one of the best decisions you will ever make! Here in Winter Haven, we are growing like never before while also keeping our spirit of collaboration. We have plenty of organizations that offer their services to help you in the beginning steps of starting a business that will thrive in our town. One of the first resources comes from the City of Winter Haven. They have created a step by step list of everything you need to open a business here, as well as the contact information of those who you will need to connect with for things like obtaining a business tax receipt and more.

Other fantastic organizations who specialize in starting a business are the SBDC, Central Florida SCORE, Solid Rock Consulting and Pilgrim Associates & Vistage Florida.

The SBDC stands for Small Business Development Center and that is exactly what they do! They provide consulting, information and training to help you develop and create your business.
Central Florida SCORE is non-profit that focuses on educating entrepreneurs through offering mentorship opportunities, workshops, resources and much more. Here are two of their books that are amazing resources as your start and continue to grow your business: Simple Steps for Growing Your Business and Simple Steps for Starting Your Business.
Solid Rock Consulting focuses on helping you create a rock solid foundation for you and your business! They start their process with a full assessment of your business and from there, they move into education, configuration and documenting. They are a great partner to have in your journey to starting your own business!
The team at Pilgrim Associates focuses on business mentoring for small business. Some of their services include business planning options, strategic business development, SWOT analysis, operations planning and more.

Once you open your business, give us a call! Becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce is an invaluable tool to become engrained in the community, making life-long connections, getting your name in front of our broad audience and membership and so much more. We want to give you the tools to be a thriving part of Winter Haven's business community. To become a member of the Chamber, contact our Membership & Sponsorship Development Manager, Ana. To learn more about the Chamber, click here!

Valuable Relationships For Any Small Business

Our Chamber of Commerce has 720 members! With a membership teaming with organizations and businesses with a variety of skills and offerings, there is an invaluable selection of people who can help you get to where you want to go. One of our main focuses is to create an atmosphere for our businesses to connect and collaborate. Here are some connections you can make to help you get started:

Business Assistance Programs

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Grants
The FDEO office of Small and Minority Business Capital is all about promoting the growth and success of the small business community in Florida. The programs that they offer provide small businesses with access to assistance, training and much more. For more information, visit their website.

Rebuild Florida Business Loan Fund
"The Rebuild Florida Business Loan Fund provides access to available and affordable working capital at reasonable interest rates and terms to help existing and new Florida businesses create and retain permanent jobs, create high paying jobs and diversify and stabilize the state's economy." Click here to learn more.

Small Business Financing Quick Reference Guide
"The SBA Loan program is co-lender financing for growing and expanding small businesses designed to facilitate the acquisition of capital fixed assets, such a as commercial real estate and/or long-life machinery and equipment." Click here to review the guide.