Why Florida? Because This Is Where the Opportunity Is - And So Are We

By Amanda Kingsley | The Confident Broker | Brevard County, Florida

There are 50 states in this country. Brokers operating from a corporate office in another time zone can technically serve all of them. So why does The Confident Broker focus specifically on Florida?

Because Florida is not just where I live. It is where the opportunity is, where the need is, and where I can do the most good for the most people with the experience and relationships I have spent over 13 years building.

Let me show you what I mean.

Florida Is the Most Entrepreneurial State in America

This is not a tagline. It is a fact backed by the data.

Florida ranked number one in the United States in small business density in 2025, with 13,822 small businesses per 100,000 residents - more small businesses per capita than any other state in the country.

WalletHub ranked Florida the best state to start a business in 2025, citing its tax-friendly environment, growing economy, and entrepreneurial culture.

Florida has ranked first in new business applications since Q3 2014 and currently holds a 50.2% startup success rate.

According to the SBA's 2025 Florida State Profile, the state is home to 3.5 million small businesses, representing 99.8% of all Florida businesses.

Those businesses employ 3.8 million people, accounting for nearly 40% of Florida's entire workforce.

Between March 2023 and March 2024 alone, small businesses contributed a net increase of 139,887 jobs, representing 77.4% of all net new jobs created in the state during that period.

Small businesses are not a sideshow in Florida's economy. They are the main event.

The Growth Is Real - But So Is the Funding Gap

Here is where the story gets honest, and where The Confident Broker comes in.

Florida ranks fifth in the nation for small business growth between 2022 and 2025, with 17.2% business growth and 6.2% employee growth according to SBA state profile data.

Between March 2023 and March 2024, 111,346 Florida establishments opened and 94,744 closed - a net increase of 16,602 businesses. The pipeline of new businesses entering this state is extraordinary.

But here is the catch: Florida ranks only 14th in SBA loan approvals per capita, and 23rd in average SBA loan size!

Florida's entrepreneurs are starting businesses faster than they are getting funded. The gap between the number of businesses being created and the number of businesses getting access to quality capital is significant - and it is costing Florida's small business owners real money, real growth, and in some cases, the business itself.

This is not a supply problem. The capital exists. The programs exist. The problem is access, guidance, and having the right person in your corner who knows which doors to open and how to open them.

Why Local Matters More Than You Think

A broker operating from a call center in another state can technically access some of the same funding programs I can. But here is what they cannot do:

They cannot meet you at your business and understand what you are actually building. They cannot speak to a lender on your behalf with the credibility that comes from years of consistent, quality deal flow. They cannot refer you to the right attorney, accountant, or fellow business owner in your community. They cannot show up at a Grow Brevard meeting or answer a question in a local Facebook group at 9pm because they genuinely care about what happens to your business.

Local presence changes the nature of the relationship entirely. Nearly 99.8% of Florida's businesses are small businesses, and the vast majority of them are owned by people who live in the same communities where they operate. They deserve a funding resource that operates the same way.

The Confident Broker was built to be exactly that resource - for Brevard County first, and for all of Florida as we grow.

The Space Coast Is Leading the Charge

While Florida's small business story is impressive statewide, the Space Coast's momentum is something else entirely.

Brevard County's GDP grew from $28.4 billion in 2020 to over $43.4 billion by 2024 - a 53% increase in just four years. The Space Coast was ranked number nine nationwide in the Milken Institute's Best Performing Cities 2025 index, which measures economic performance, job growth, and wage gains. Volusia and Brevard County are both actively developing their entrepreneurial ecosystems, with small business formation outpacing many larger Florida markets.

The companies here are not just surviving. They are growing, hiring, exporting, and in many cases making history. And the small businesses that supply, support, and serve those companies need capital to keep up with the pace.

What This Means for You

If you are a small business owner in Florida - whether you are in Brevard County, up the coast in Volusia, down in Palm Beach, or across the state in Tampa - here is what the data means for your business:

You are operating in one of the best environments for small business in the country. The economy is growing. The demand is there. The opportunity is real.

What you need is the capital to capture it. And what you deserve is someone who will find it for you honestly, at a price that makes sense, with terms that actually serve your business instead of someone else's commission.

That is what The Confident Broker is here to do.

Florida Is Home. This Is Personal.

I have called Florida home for almost all of my life. I have watched this state grow, watched its small business community expand, and watched too many of the people building it get taken advantage of by brokers who did not share their investment in the outcome.

Coming home to serve Florida's small businesses was not a business decision. It was the only decision that made sense after 13 years of watching what happens when the right person with the right relationships shows up in someone's corner - and what happens when they do not.

The Confident Broker is here. In Florida. For the long run.

Ready to Find Out What You Qualify For?

If you are a small business owner anywhere in Florida and you want straight answers about your funding options from someone who actually knows this market, let's talk.

Sources cited in this article: Florida Daily - Florida Ranked #1 for Small Business Growth 2025 | WalletHub - Best State to Start a Business 2025 | BoostSuite - Florida Small Business Statistics | SBA 2025 Florida State Profile | Cypress Bank - Florida Small Businesses | Founder Reports - Small Business Growth by State | Liberty Savings Bank - Florida Small Business Boom | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED | Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast