>> I am told I can rent more static IPs... I assume I will need some hardware to be able to accommodate more than 1 IP unless I am port forwarding to different boxes.
Not really, just about any *nix-y system can accommodate that with NAT as a firewall/router/gateway, whatever you want to call it, with one ip or many. Even basic WRT-based systems ala netgear/linksys can tend to handle this in theory with basic network iptables features. Probably best would be something like pfsync, which there is plenty of cheap gateway hardware out there that can run it, or any older (ie. cheap) enterprise firewalls.
Old days the biggest reason for multiple ip's was SSL requiring 1:1 IP to DNS binding, but this has gotten easier out of necessity with use of Subject Alternative Names (SAN) as part of the certs. If you need the same external port being forwarded to multiple internal ports/services is about the only other reason for multiple ip's, but as long as you can define separate ports for what is connecting to it, not so much.
When you get to the point you want to do so, more than few of us have probably done so to help you through it and understand the concepts once you know what you need/want to do.
>> Cox Business does not block any ports.
The only residential ports they block really relevant these days is 80 for http (not 443/https, so why 80??), and smtp for email, but these days there is little reason to run your own smtp server unless you're just doing it to do it or honeypot spammers trying to hit you 24/7 for no good reasons. I'd run sslvpn for remote access on https/443 just fine on res service, I just need to make sure to type https://.
>> I am satisfied with Cox Business
CBS
service is just pricey (compared to residential) to begin with, unlimited bandwidth and unblocked
ports or not imho, but otherwise about the best/cheapest "business
class" service/support you can get, if you can get it in your hood.
-mb