Small Business Basics in Fort Lauderdale
If you’ve ever thought about turning your side hustle into a real business in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in Broward County, this episode is for you. Business law attorney Matthew Fornaro joins me to share practical, plain‑English advice on choosing the right business structure, avoiding partnership disasters, dealing with commercial landlords and surviving South Florida’s wild real‑estate market.
South Florida is full of people with big ideas and side hustles, but turning that into a real business is where a lot of locals get tripped up. In this episode, I’m joined by Coral Springs and Parkland business attorney Matthew Fornaro to talk about what it actually looks like to start, grow and protect a business in Broward County, Palm Beach and Miami‑Dade.
We get into the good, the bad and the ugly of business formation, partnerships, contracts and commercial real estate in a market that never seems to stop building. Whether you’re working out of your spare bedroom in Fort Lauderdale or signing a lease on that storefront you’ve been eyeing, this conversation will give you some local perspective before you sign anything.
Chapters
- 00:21 Welcome to Let's Talk Lauderdale
- 04:11 Nostalgic Memories of South Florida
- 10:52 Transitioning from Big Law
- 13:40 Starting Your Business Right
- 19:04 Common Business Mistakes
- 24:08 Partnership Challenges
- 26:23 Real Estate Disputes
- 28:14 South Florida's Changing Landscape
- 32:45 Tips for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- 40:27 Family Life and Community
- 44:30 Wrapping Up the Conversation
Guest: Matthew Fornaro
- Website: https://fornarolegal.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfornaro/
People, Places and Events Mentioned
- Who Song and Larry’s (restaurant chain history): https://www.facebook.com/whosongandlarrys/
- Morgan & Morgan law firm: https://www.forthepeople.com
- TopDog Law: https://www.topdoglaw.com
- Cohen and Cohen (injury lawyers): https://www.cohenandcohen.net
- Rubenstein Law: https://www.rubensteinlaw.com
- Florida Bar: https://www.floridabar.org
- Coral Springs Charter School: https://www.coralspringscharter.org/
- Galleria Mall (The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale): https://www.galleriamall-fl.com
- The Wharf Fort Lauderdale: https://wharfftl.com
- Coral Springs Center for the Arts: https://www.thecentercs.com
- Broward Center for the Performing Arts: https://www.browardcenter.org
- Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (West Palm Beach): https://www.kravis.org
Website: https://www.letstalklauderdale.com/
Let’s Talk Lauderdale is hosted by Marvin Bee & Jen Stewart.
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Attorney At Law
Matthew Fornaro is a South Florida business law attorney who helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and growing companies avoid legal landmines and stay out of court. He runs his own firm, Matthew Fornaro, P.A., based in Coral Springs/Parkland and serves businesses across Broward and beyond.
His core focus is practical business law: contracts, partner and shareholder disputes, business formation and structure, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and association/real estate issues that hit everyday operators. Before starting his firm in 2014, he spent years at large AmLaw 200 firms handling complex commercial litigation, and he now holds an “AV” rating and recognition among top high-stakes litigators.
He solves problems like: bad or vague contracts, handshake partnerships gone wrong, ownership disputes, regulatory and risk exposure, and “I wish we had called a lawyer before we signed this” situations. For MSPs and IT business owners, Matthew matters because he understands how fast‑moving service businesses work and focuses on building contracts, structures, and systems that prevent disputes instead of just cleaning them up later. He regularly speaks on legal pitfalls for small businesses and regulated startups, emphasizing due diligence, written agreements, and choosing the right entity and partners from day one—issues MSPs wrestle with constantly.