Private equity firms invested $8 billion in 93 Florida-based companies in 2011--the sixth largest investment amount among all states. (Read more)

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Florida's renewed commitment to business continues to gain national attention as CEOs from around the country rank Florida #2 Best State for Business--up from ranking 3rd in 2011. (Read more)

Florida is home to 58,310 exporting companies--second only to California. One out of every five, or 20%, of the nation's companies that export are located in Florida. (Read more)

Gainesville ranks among America's Hardest Working Towns, according to a PARADE study based on factors such as employment rate, average hours worked and willingness to work during personal time. (Read more)

Another great testament to Florida's business-friendly climate, Florida is home to 3 of the nation's most cost competitive large metros: Orlando (#3), Tampa (#4) and Miami (#11). (Read more)

Florida's strides in growing a business-friendly state are attracting national attention as the state ranks among the America's top 10 states for entrepreneurship and among the top 10 most improved over the last decade. (Read more)

The State of Florida and Google have joined forces to give Florida's small businesses free websites and online tools so that they can establish an internet presence. (Read more)

Beacon Hill Institute ranks Florida #1 in Government & Fiscal Policy--a great testament to the State leadership's commitment to growth and economic development. (Read more)

According to a new Goldman Sachs survey, Florida is outpacing the nation in creating new jobs. (Read more)

Florida companies dominated 2012 Exporter of the Year rankings. This year's Florida winners were Hernon Manufacturing, The Intermarket Group, and Marketing Arm International Inc. (Read more)

According to Fortune Magazinem Florida is home to more of America's Most Admired Companies than most all of the other U.S. states. (Read more)

With $64.8 billion in origin exports last year - 17 percent higher than 2010's total - Florida continues its reign as the nation's fourth largest export state. (Read more)

Tampa is home to a nascent start-up scene, and local government is particularly business-friendly, promising tax credits to businesses that locate in certain areas or work in one of a number of high-demand industries, including life sciences and sustainable energy. (Read more)

Florida continues its reign as one of the nation's best states for business, ranking among the top 5 states for favorable business tax climate. (Read more)

Florida ranks 8th on the Small Business Survival Index, which ranks the policy environment for entrepreneurship across the nation. (Read more)

Florida metros dominated Forbes' employment outlook rankings, winning 4 of the top 7 spots. (Read more)

Florida is home to 269 of America's leading companies -- the 5th largest number in the U.S. -- as reported on the recently released Inc 5,000 list. (more)

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Florida ranks 4th among the 50 states in its number of women-owned businesses, and many of them are exceptionally healthy, says a new survey by Florida International Unversity. (Read more)

U.S. corporate executives rank Florida's business climate among the Top 5 in America. (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's business climate #4 in the nation. (Read more)

Florida is home to 2 of America's leading Cities of the Future, Orlando (#10) and Jacksonville (#14). (Read more)

Business Facilities has ranked Florida's business climate among the Top 5 in the nation. (Read more)

Four Florida counties (Palm Beach #1, Martin #4, Orange #7 & Leon #9) have been named national leaders in information and communications technology in their respective population categories in the 2011 Digital Counties Survey. (Read more)

CNN Money named two Florida schools, Indian River State College and Palm Beach State College, to its new list of America's ten most affordable colleges. (Read more)

Forbes has declared Orlando 1 of 10 U.S. metro areas most primed for growth in the coming decade. (Read more)

Orlando-Kissimmee has been ranked 8th on Monster.com's list of the nation's top 10 metro areas for jobs. (Read more)

The fact that there is a U.S. Export Assistance Center in Fort Lauderdale and the decision to relocate the office to Port Everglades is a testament to the current trade activity here and highlights the important partnership between the County and Federal Government which is sure to be strengthened by this move. (Read more)

The federal government has approved the Jacksonville Port Authority's bid to create an expanded foreign trade zone for Northeast Florida. (Read more)

California, Texas and Florida are the top states for veteran-owned businesses, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. (Read more)

Northeast Florida has won approval for Florida's first expanded foreign trade zone, which will give businesses a fast-track process for obtaining zone benefits. (Read more)

More than 500 CEOs considered a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, to select Florida among the nation's Best States for Business. (Read more)

Fortune has named 16 Florida companies among the nation's leaders in their respective industries in the 2011 annual rankings. (Read more)

Florida's airports dominated the New York Times rankings for most competitive fare pricing. (Read more)

Palm Bay joined Duluth, Minn., Evanston, Ill., Buffalo, N.Y., and six other cities in earning the distinction of Best Places To Start a Business in 2011, according to the website Askmen.com. (Read more)

Wells Fargo ranks Florida #1 for high-growth industries and positive regional advantage, noting "the Sunshine State is making important enhancements to its university system to bring in more cutting-edge research, and this should pay off with an even better mix of high-growth industries in future years." (Read more)

Four Florida cities earned top marks as fDi Magazine American Cities of the Future, including Miami which ranked 7th overall. In terms of business friendliness in their respective size categories, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale ranked #1, followed by Miami at #2 and Tampa ranking 6th. (Read more)

Orlando and Jacksonville were both named to Kiplinger's list of eleven cities that are enjoying a surprising and welcome upward bounce. (Read more)

In Greater Fort Lauderdale, multinational firms find a safe haven and desirable tax climate for corporate operations. (Read more)

Florida is home to 4 of the nation's Best Cities for Minority Entrepreneurs: #5 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, #9 Orlando-Kissimmee, #14 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, #21 Jacksonville. (Read more)

A recent analysis showed that Orlando is the least expensive city in the U.S. for operating a corporate headquarters, followed by Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Birmingham and San Antonio. (Read more)

The state-funded Florida Economic Gardening Institute is the first organization in the United States to receive Program Certification in the National Center for Economic Gardening's top-ranking Level Three, representing the highest engagement of economic gardening principles that is attainable. (Read more)

Tampa's Bayshore Solutions and Orlando-based Engineering and Computer Simulations were named among the nation's best small businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (Read more)

Check out the new Florida Business Smarts Blog to read what Florida's business community has to say. While you're there, add your thoughts and join the conversation. (Read more)

Growing by 17.8% over 2009, Florida is now officially the fourth largest export state in the United States. Florida's 2010 exports reached $55.2 billion, which surpassed the state's peak of $54.2 billion in 2008 - the height of the export boom. (Read more)

Jacksonville (#3) and Miami (#4) have been named among the 10 Happiest Cities To Work In America, as reported by CareerBliss and Forbes.com. (Read more)

In a new BizCosts.com report by The Boyd Co., Orlando has been named the nation's least expensive city to launch a corporate headquarters. Florida cities claimed 5 of the top 20 low cost leader spots, dominating the rankings. No other state placed more than one city on the top 20 list.

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Orlando-Kissimmee have been ranked among the nation's Top 25 MSAs for small businesses. (Read more)

Through targeted business assistance, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute and its program GrowFL helped entrepreneurial growth companies create at least 418 jobs throughout the state in just its first year. (Read more)

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council recognized Florida among the top states for small business and entrepreneurship. The rankings measure the costs and burdens of government on small business, and policy areas that enable their competitiveness and growth. (Read more)

CNNMoney.com ranks Miami among the nation's top "8 cities that want your business" and praises The Launch Pad for working to turn the region's economy around. (Read more)

Florida ranks 7th in the nation for number of doctorate degrees awarded, and two Florida schools ranks among the top 50 in the U.S. (UF ranks 10th, FSU ranks 47th).

Orlando was 1 of only 7 U.S. cities recognized for utilizing the strengths of existing business as well as government and academia, to become a hotbed for the biotech, IT, renewable energy technologies, aerospace/defense, digital media, and a host of other high-tech endeavors. (Read more)

Florida scored high in several categories of the Kauffman Foundation's 2010 New Economy States rankings. The state ranked 4th in Entrepreneurial Activity, 5th in Economic Dynamism, 7th in Export Focus of Manufacturing & Services, and 10th in Inventor Patents. (Read more)

Florida's Business Climate was ranked 6th in the nation in Site Selection's annual survey of real estate consultants. (Read more)

The Tax Foundation has ranked Florida among the nation's Top 5 States for Business. (Read more)

Eight Florida companies have been named to Deloitte's Technology Fast 500. This is an annual ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America, based on fiscal year revenue growth from 2005 to 2009. (Read more)

Florida ranks 5th on the 2010 Inc 5,000 list of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies. More than 260 Florida companies that made this year's list. (Read more)

Florida companies won 2 of the 5 spots on the 2010 SCORE Client Awards. Naples-based Just Like Home Family Care won the Outstanding Woman-owned Business Award, and Cortez, FL's Translation Link won the Outstanding Small Business Launched by an Individual Aged 50 Award. (Read more)

Business Facilities Magazine ranks Panama City, FL ranks #1 in Top 10 Rankings for Metro Economic Growth Potential. Orlando also made the list, ranking #10 in Aerospace/Defense Manufacturing and #10 Most Wired. Tampa/St. Petersburg ranked #9 in Aerospace/Defense Manufacturing. (Read more)

Florida has been ranked number one in the nation for its workforce on CNBC's fourth annual America's Top States for Business rankings. The workforce rankings in CNBC's annual study are based on several indicators, including the education level of the workforce, the number of available workers, union membership and the relative success of each state's worker training programs in placing participants in jobs. (Read more)

FDi Magazine has ranked Jacksonville's Foreign Trade Zone the best port zone in the United States and the third best in the world. Shanghai, China and Tangier, Morocco ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively. (Read more)

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida a national leader in infrastructure (#1) and workforce development & training (#2). Read the full report or view Florida's Profile to learn more.

With 119 ranked companies, Florida was the No. 1 state on the 2010 HispanicBusiness 500. (Read more)

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranks Florida's state tax system among the nation's Top 10 on its "Business Tax Index 2010: Best to Worst State Tax Systems for Entrepreneurship and Small Business." The index ranks the 50 states and District of Columbia according to the costs of their tax systems for entrepreneurship and small business. (Read more)

The Port of Jacksonville was one of only five North American ports that experienced container trade growth in 2009. In 2009, Jacksonville ranked 14th in the nation, followed by Miami at 15th. (Read more)

Florida ranked among the Top 10 states on Chief Executive's annual survey of best and worst states for business. More than 600 CEOs rated states on a wide range of criteria from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment. (Read more)

Florida is home to three of the nation's top 20 metros for the creation and development of small businesses. (Read more)

Very competitive labor costs along with moderately-low office/industrial leasing and sales tax costs help make Tampa the least-costly place to do business among 22 U.S. cities/locations with populations exceeding 2 million. (Read more)

Seven Florida companies were named to Fortune Magazine's global list of "most admired" companies, earning top marks in their respective industry categories. (Read more)