If you’ve considered moving to Florida and buying a business, then the news cycle during the hurricane season might have you considering somewhere more inland. And north. And away from the ocean.

Don’t let it.

Natural disasters happen everywhere – the up side to a hurricane (as opposed to a tornado or raging forest fire) is you get lots of time to prepare. Boarding up windows, sand bagging doors, moving expensive electronics and important papers out of harms way, etc. works to lessen the blow by these large, but infrequent, storms.

Let’s talk about that frequency for a minute. It might seem like hurricanes are a part of everyday Florida life, but the big and bad ones really don’t happen that often in one location. Southwest Florida, where hurricanes Irma and Ian caused havoc, hadn’t seen the impacts of a big storm since 2004 (Charley) – a 13 year break between large storm impacts.

If you want to be in Florida and are worried about the impact of storms remember that the majority of Florida is inland – most business owners can’t see the ocean from their front door. Only those businesses very close to the beaches, bays and rivers need to be extra vigilant and worry about concerns like storm surge – and those businesses can successfully recover if they properly prepare and keep up to date on their insurances. Your location is going to matter a lot if you’re worried about hurricane impacts, so do your research and see what areas you would be most comfortable in – then work with your business broker to find businesses in those areas.

Once you own a Florida business, preparation is the key to success in a storm. Although some business owners can have hard road ahead in the aftermath of a storm (because of the damage they sustain), most businesses who plan ahead are able to reopen relatively quickly. Generators and full spare gas cans mean that some businesses are even able to open their doors before the power comes back on. New construction codes (like hurricane windows and roof tie-downs) that were put in place in the last few decades have also dramatically decreased the amount of damage a storm can do.

The point here is you shouldn’t let hurricane season dissuade you from the chance to be a part of the booming Florida small business economy. In fact, if you’re considering a business in the construction, fencing, tree service or roofing industries – then our occasional bashing by a big storm means more job security for you.

Have you considered buying a business in Florida but are concerned about how hurricanes can affect your business? Do you have questions about what areas are more prone to the effects of a hurricane? Ask us! Please feel free to leave any questions or comments here and we would be happy to help.

Michael Monnot

941.518.7138
Mike@InfinityBusinessBrokers.com