New companies look to Florida for launch

The startup market in Florida has started to come back, according to The Company Corp., a Wilmington, Del.-based firm that helps new businesses incorporate.

The firm, in a statement released in late March, reports that incorporation requests grew 41% in the Sunshine State in 2012 compared with 2011. The Company Corp., moreover, reports that the amount of limited liability companies it registered in Florida grew 24% in 2012 over 2011, while C-Corp registration was up 38%. Florida's C-Corp registration fees are lower than most other states, the firm reports, which is one reason for the stellar growth.

“Low annual fees for forming and maintaining a corporation in Florida are particularly attractive to entrepreneurs,” The Company Corp. CEO E.J. Dealy says in the release. “Additionally, Florida is one of the few states that does not have an income tax. This fact attracts people to the state and helps spur the creation of small businesses.”

The Company Corp. works with small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide and has provided incorporation services to more than 500,000 businesses. The firm says business formation growth in the Southeast region of the U.S., including Florida, grew 21% in 2012 over 2011.