SUNNY OUTLOOK

Thanks to a thriving business community, the odds of finding a good job are better in metro Orlando.

Metro Orlando means business, whether you are talking corporate sites or commercial shoots, laser beams or loading docks. Things are manufactured, shipped and filmed; monitored, strategized and developed—all in the metro Orlando area.

Overall, more than 1 million people are employed in the region. That total includes more than 200,000 Hispanic workers. The greatest area for potential employment lies in the services industry, which represents approximately 40 percent of all employment. Within the services area, the tourism sector is particularly promising. Two of the three biggest employers comprise theme parks and hotels: the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando. Health care and retail (stores) also are major employers within the services sector. In addition, several corporate headquarters are located throughout the region. They include Siemens Westinghouse, American Automobile Association, Dixon Ticonderoga, Darden Restaurants, Hilton and Tupperware International.

High technology is big business, too. With approximately 4,700 high-tech companies that employ nearly 80,000 people, the region is a world-class hightech center. During the past 10 years, employment in high-tech industries has more than doubled, and approximately 80 percent of the total manufacturing growth since 1980 has occurred in hightech industries. Among the leading hightech areas are simulation and training, lasers, software development, and microelectronics manufacturing. Among notable high-tech employers are Oracle Corporation, Lockheed Martin and Cirent Semiconductor. All totaled, there are some 3,800 high-tech companies in the area, employing 80,000 people and generating nearly $9 billion in annual sales.

In manufacturing, the three-story Coca-Cola sign that dominates New York’s Times Square was manufactured in metro Orlando, as are the bottles that hold Heinz Ketchup, Gatorade and Wilson tennis balls.Manufacturers thrive throughout the region by virtue of affordable land prices, a young and welltrained employee base, pro-business governments, right-to-work laws, and roadway/air transportation access. Annual sales equal in the range of $8 billion.

Business start-ups are another potential source of employment. Each week, approximately 34 new businesses are established here, and more than 750 jobs are created. That’s because area governments are working hard to provide incentives to do business locally. For example, Osceola County created an enterprise zone in 2004 to attract companies that promise to diversity the economy. Sales tax exemptions and other incentives are provided in exchange for higher salaries for residents.

As a result, wages are on the rise. The average wage paid by a job in Osceola County increased 5 percent in the latest figures. That percentage increase is the best among the counties in metro Orlando; the other counties average an increase of approximately 3 percent.

Finally, you might even become a star. In film and television production, annual related revenues total more than $845 million, ranging from major movies and network series to studio activities.

For more information about the doing business in the region, two excellent resources are the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando (HCCMO) and the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Greater Orlando (HBIF).

The HCCMO provides leadership and support in fostering the economic development of the local Hispanic business community. The HBIF enhances opportunities by providing Hispanic entrepreneurs with the tools to build successful enterprises.

Did you know that small businesses represent 95 percent of all businesses in the United States and that those small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the total workforce in the nation? Small business in this country is, indeed, a driving and vital force to the economy.

In order to be a successful small business owner, future entrepreneurs need to know it requires dedication, patience and talent. Following are some of the basic steps to start a business:

• Identify your passion and turn it into a money-making business.
  
• Do your homework. Conduct research which will help you identify your niche.
  
• Develop a business plan that will help you reach your business goals.
  
• Identify the best location for your business and contact the zoning and building department to determine if the business complies with zoning codes.
  
• Identify the best legal structure for your business, register your business with the Florida Division of Corporations and obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
  
• Contact the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and/or the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to verify if a certification is needed before opening your business.
  
• Contact the county and city occupational license office to obtain your business license.
  

For more information about HBIF–Hispanic Business Initiative Fund or how to start and operate a business, call 407-428-5872 or visit www.hbiforlando.org.