The cost of living is on the minds of people in South Florida, with rising rent and gas prices.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a quick look at those and other business issues making headlines this week in Miami:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Real IRS letter, not a scam: A Miami-area accountant initially suspected fraud when clients received IRS letters<\/a> asking for bank account information, but the IRS confirmed the notices were legitimate. Accountant Marcell Hetenyi said 12 of his firm\u2019s 700 clients received the \u201cpoorly written\u201d letters and will get refunds of $50 to $120.<\/p>\n \u2022 Miami ranks worst for renters: Out of 182 U.S. cities surveyed by WalletHub, Miami came in last for rent affordability<\/a>. The median monthly rent of $1,758 consumes 33.77% of the city\u2019s median monthly income of $62,462..<\/p>\n \u2022 Gas prices surge past $4: South Florida gas prices jumped by double digits<\/a> over four days, with Miami-Dade averaging $4.14 a gallon on April 30, a 15-cent increase since Monday. Fort Lauderdale hit $4.19 and West Palm Beach\/Boca Raton reached $4.32.<\/p>\n \u2022 Miami a top spot for women entrepreneurs: The metro area ranked sixth nationally for woman-owned businesses<\/a>, according to a CoworkingCafe study. Women-owned businesses make up 25% of the region\u2019s total and employ 229,133 workers.<\/p>\n \u2022 Overtown grants available: The Overtown Small Business Grant Program offers an average of $5,000 to entrepreneurs in the Southeast Overtown\/Park West Redevelopment area<\/a>, funded by a $250,000 award from Miami commissioners in 2025.<\/p>\n