August 21, 2026 — Southwest Florida new business activity

Southwest Florida recorded 1,036 new business filings the week of July 31 to August 6, up 21.3% from the week before.

The rebound was broad, not one big batch. Lee County added 120 filings to reach 572, and Collier County added 47 to reach 270. Together those two counties make up about 81% of the week's total.

Health care and social assistance stood out. It rose to 74 filings, up 18 from the week before, and it was the only sector running far above its usual pace. Health related names also showed up far more often than normal in new business names.

Several smaller sectors grew the fastest. Manufacturing more than doubled to 18, wholesale trade doubled to 18, and information rose 50% to 24. These are early signals of new firms forming in goods, trade and services.

The longer view is still down. The 13 week total is falling, even though this single week bounced back. One strong week does not yet reverse a slide that ran from late June into mid July.

A steady slowdown over the past 13 weeks.

The bold line is the 13-week average. Read it for the longer trend. The thin line is each week's count, which swings week to week.

• 2025-26
• 2024-25
• 2023-24
• 2022-23
• 2021-22

New business formation usually runs highest around Jan and is quietest around Dec, holding near 4,000 a month across the years.

Each line is one year, ending at the current month on the right, so you can read the past year left to right. New Year's Day is left out because the state office is closed, so almost no businesses register that day.

Property Holding & Asset Protection grew the most this week, 37 more (up 28.5%). Retail dropped the most, 2 fewer (down 2.7%). 7 other sectors shown here also grew.

Lee County led the region this week with 572 new filings.

• SWFL Inc., the region's economic development organization, will host State of the Region 2026 on September 16, 2026, bringing together business leaders, community stakeholders, elected officials and regional experts to look at the economic, workforce, population and policy issues shaping Southwest Florida.

  A regional economic outlook event like this draws the firms that sell to growing businesses, from marketing and event services to the professional firms that sponsor and attend it.

  Who this helps

  • event planners
  • marketing agencies
  • business attorneys
  • accountants
  • commercial printers

  SWFL Inc., 2026-08-14

• Avow, Southwest Florida's original nonprofit hospice based in Collier County, is expanding its volunteer service area into Lee, Hendry and Glades counties and hosting enrollment events and Veteran Volunteer Bootcamps.

  A hospice widening its reach across three counties means more care delivered in more homes, which creates steady work for the staffing, medical supply and home care firms that support it.

  Who this helps

  • home health agencies
  • medical supply companies
  • staffing agencies
  • caregivers
  • transportation providers

  Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, 2026-08-14

• Airports Council International North America awarded Naples Airport its Airport Workforce Development Accreditation at the 2026 Business of Airports Conference, recognizing the airport's workforce development program.

  A formal workforce development program at the airport means a steady pipeline of trained workers for the aviation and service firms that operate there, from ground handling to maintenance.

  Who this helps

  • aviation service firms
  • ground handling companies
  • maintenance contractors
  • training providers
  • staffing agencies

  Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, 2026-08-14

This week's jump in filings, led by health care and a broad rise across Lee and Collier counties, means a bigger pool of new businesses to sell to. The cited developments point to where the work is: a hospice expanding across three counties and a workforce program at Naples Airport. Firms that serve health care and aviation are the ones best placed to act on it this period.

These counts come from new business filings recorded with the state of Florida for the week of July 31 to August 6, 2026. We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all filings, so the counts are complete and accurate.

Frequently asked questions

How many new businesses formed in Southwest Florida this week?

1,036 new business filings were recorded the week of July 31 to August 6, 2026, up 21.3% from the week before.

Which counties saw the most new business activity?

Lee County led with 572 filings, followed by Collier County with 270. Together they made up about 81% of the week's total.

Which industries grew the most?

Health care and social assistance rose to 74 filings, up 18 from the week before. Manufacturing and wholesale trade both doubled, and information rose 50%.

Are these counts final?

Yes. We wait about two weeks after the week ends for the state to finish recording all filings, so the counts are complete and accurate.