Jacksonville, FL (December 27, 2022) – Council Member Danny Becton recently reached out to the City of Jacksonville’s Planning and Development Department as well as the Office of Economic Development (OED) to request information to assist current and future small business owners. As one of the districts experiencing high growth in Jacksonville, Council Member Becton thought it important that prospective District 11 tenants be provided with the tools needed to successfully establish and maintain a small business in Jacksonville.
One of the objectives of the city’s Office of Economic Development (OED) is to assist new and existing small business owners with financing through local, state, and federal programs. In conjunction with these programs, it also helps businesses navigate getting started by introducing the business owner to financing alternatives. In addition to OED, there are many partner resources throughout Jacksonville to assist small businesses, providing the necessary services for successful startup business ventures. Through these partners, it is the intent of OED that these resources can provide help and assistance as business owners start and manage new business ventures by navigating through the key components of business startup. These value-added resources are provided through these organizations at only a fraction of the costs of the benefits, they will provide. OED also provides resources that can be reached by clicking on the following link – OED Small Business Resources Website.
While the financial side is only one area business owners must consider, there are also areas such as location, zoning, permitting, and other requirements that are needed to legally operate. The city’s Planning and Development Department also offers resources for business owners through its Small Business Help Sessions. Held two times a month and by appointment only, these half-hour sessions are free and open to all Duval County residents opening businesses in Jacksonville. Topics covered during the session include the following:
- Certificate of Use (COU), recently reformed by Council Member Becton through Ordinance 2022-766-E
- Permits (Building Inspection Division)
- Zoning (Planning and Development Department)
- Fire Inspections (Fire and Rescue Department)
To prepare for one of these sessions, the Planning and Development Department requests that those seeking assistance bring items such as shared site plans, leases, occupancy information, and any other materials pertaining to the operation of the business for review. If interested in booking an appointment, please click on the following link – CoJ Small Biz Help. Further, for a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please see the document below labeled Small Business – Frequently Asked Questions.
For more information, please visit: