how to sell a business Archives - Sell A Business Florida

A Word on Buying or Selling a Business

By Scott | December 27, 2012 - 8:39 am |December 27, 2012 business broker florida, buy a business, entrepreneur, Florida business broker, how to sell a business, Jacksonville Florida businesses for sale, Main, sell a business florida, selling my business, small business ideas, small business owner

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Considering Buying or Selling a Business?

Taxes Transition Risk Future Asset List Owner Benefit Working Capital License transfer CHANGE Liabilities Seller Financing SBA, Trucks, Intellectual Property EBITDA Cash Flow Inventory Debt Depreciation Goodwill Money Customer Base When to Tell Employees Balance Sheet Business Broker Attorney How? Accountant Marketing Adjusted Net Non Compete Negotiation Training Management Offer to Purchase Confidentiality Lease Accounts Receivable Franchise Valuation Multiples NDA Revenues Net Income Depreciation Earnout Closing Agreement Job Deposits Employees Trademarks Fear Trade Name Retire Security Promissory Note CPA Personal Guarantee Timing Work UCC Family Business Exit Plan Website When? Partner S-Corp Clients Relationships Price Payment real estate Assignment Plan Help!

WWW.SellaBusinessFlorida.com

Website & SEO Before You Sell Your Business

By Scott | October 19, 2011 - 10:27 am |July 13, 2013 business broker florida, buy a business, Florida Businesses For Sale, how to sell a business, sell a business florida, selling my business, small business owner

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Selling your business requires you to prepare your business for sale. One of the important steps in preparing your business for sale is a well designed web site that produces results. Below is information from the perspective of an SEO Web Design firm.

Tampa SEO is a full service web design and SEO agency in Tampa, FL. Here’s an article they wrote regarding web design and SEO prior to selling your business.

Why You Need SEO & a New Website Before Selling Your Business

So you have decided to sell your business and are making moves to get top dollar for your baby. Being a good business owner you understand that although your business means the world to you in the business world it is about proving the dollar amount from both an appraisal and sales perspective.

Whatever your business may be, the prospective buyers want to see the purchase and new ownership process go as seamlessly as possible. This means all your records are in order, the permits or licenses are all up to date, and most importantly the business will continue to be as or more successful than it was with new owners. Tampa SEO highly recommends that a new website and SEO campaign can help you with the latter.

Your business website represents your professionalism

When it comes to business success most owners will agree that the online market is one of the most important. Your website is the representation of your products and services, your image, your authority in your industry, and a way to provide potential customers information in a day and age where the Internet is the first place people look. Basically, having a well-designed website will help build business, retain business and represents everything you have worked so hard for when you yourself can’t make a live impression.

Tampa SEO knows that a modern website helps businesses before, during, and at the end of their operation so that they can showcase their professionalism and utilize their website as an additional marketing tool. Although having a great website will help with conversions your business will still need a way to attract customers and PROVE that it is a great marketing tool before its sale. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play.

Photo (c) topseopicks.com

SEO is simple, easy, and fast way to get increased market share prior to selling

While a website can be the source and reason you convert leads, SEO is the reason these leads are finding you. A new website and SEO campaign helps customers or clients who are already looking for your products or services find you quickly and easily. When a customer goes on to Google and searches for a generic phrase related to your business SEO makes your website come up high in the rankings and improves the chances that that customer will make a purchase from you.

This relates to the sale of your business because with SEO all the website activity is quantifiable. When you can prove to potential buyers that you have X amount of traffic and X amount of conversions you have proved your market share and ability to sustain business in the future. This is a great selling point as most other marketing campaigns- TV, radio, Yellowpages, etc. are difficult if not impossible to measure.

Shows new buyer you have continued to improve the business while selling

Every business buyer wants to know that the risk they are taking by purchasing your business is justified. What better way than showcasing to them through your new website and SEO analytics that your business is sustainable and can continue to grow through attracting new customers online. You have showcased the effort to improve marketing before you sell your business and have begun the process of attracting a bigger clientele through SEO.

It seems that websites and Internet marketing are a piece of every business plan these days. When selling your business make the decision easy for the buyer. Showcase to them that you care about the success of the business even after ownership has been transferred by investing in a website and SEO campaign that will continue to be successful even after you are gone. It is a huge buying factor and can improve the bottom line you can charge for your business as it is all justifiable.

Scott M Messinger is a business broker based in Florida. I work with both business owners and individuals in the process of buying and selling businesses. I normally write my views and perspectives from a small business owners standpoint. The above article is helpful information provided from the perspective of an SEO Web Design Company.

Florida Business For Sale Sold Activity (October 12,2011)

By Scott | October 12, 2011 - 12:55 pm |July 14, 2013 business broker florida, buy a business, Florida Businesses For Sale, how to sell a business, Main, sell a business florida, selling my business

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity (Oct.12, 2011)

I am a Florida Business broker working with business owners selling their Florida businesses, and business owners looking for acquisitions. Prospective business buyers I work with are located in Florida, US., and Business buyers in Europe and throughout the world.

As a member of Business Brokers of Florida, which is the largest state Association of Business Brokers in the United States we have access to significant data regarding businesses being bought and sold . Thousands of businesses for sale are represented by over 1000 business brokers that are members of this Association.

These business brokers list their respective businesses for sale and prospective business buyers on a centralized listing site and buyers and sellers of businesses are brought together. Several thousand businesses for sale are listed, modified, and advertised thru this website. Valuable information regarding Florida business for Sales and Florida Businesses Sold help me as a Business Broker Professional keep track of the ebb and flow of the Florida Business Acquisition Market. Understanding a business to assist in selling that business requires an understanding of the numbers behind that business. And understanding the marketplace in which this business may be sold is furthered by a review of the data surrounding businesses being bought and sold in Florida.

The below are a few statistics, totals, and items of note surrounding the business acquisition and sales market in the State of Florida. Other businesses are bought and sold without the assistance of members Business Brokers of Florida, and that info is not included in this analysis.

Recent Businesses Sold in Florida Activity (as of Oct. 12, 2011)

Businesses Sold in Florida through Business Brokers of Florida in last 30 days – 28 vs 63 in prior 30 day (July 26,2011) documented period
Top industry of Businesses Sold in Florida through Business Brokers of Florida in last 30 days: Restaurants (as usual…)
Avg Days it took to sell Florida Businesses Sold in last 30 days – 162 (about 5 months vs. 277 days- (9 months)- in last documented 30 day period (July 2011), doesnt include businesses that were removed from market without selling

As of Oct. 12, 2011…

Businesses Currently For Sale through Business Brokers of Florida – 3301 vs. 3336 in last 30 day period. about same

Number of Business Currently for Sale in Jacksonville Florida Area (Duval County and St.Johns County) with Adjusted Cash Flow Greater than $100,000- 67
Number of Business Currently For Sale In Jacksonville Fl area with adjusted cash Flow greater than $200,000 – 21
Number of Business Currently For Sale In Jacksonville Fl area with adjusted cash Flow greater than $300,000 – 9

Current Business Interest and Activity Obseravtions: as of Oct 12,2011

As a business broker I work with many “Business Buyer Prospects“. I realize so many will remain perpetually “Prospects” and a select few will actually result in being “Business Buyers” I both understand and accept this fact.

But recently I have been working with several buyer prospect that had a goal/objective of finding Florida Business For Sale with adjusted cash flow of $300,000.

Of the 3301 business for Sale in Florida 193 have adjusted cash flow greater than $300,000 about 5% !
Of the 3301 business for Sale in Florida 103 have adjusted cash flow greater than $400,000 only about 3% !
Number of business sold in Florida with adjusted cash flow greater than $300,000 in last year – 36

Buying 2 synergistic businesses that may produced a combined $300,000 adjusted cash flow or owner benefit is a strategy that is being considered.

*All above info compiled from data available via the bbfmls website. And addresses information about businesses being bought and sold and reported thru this Professional organization of Business Brokers of Florida.

For more info or questions regarding the Florida Business Acquisition Market or Florida Businesses for sale please contact

Scott M Messinger

Scott@Sellabusinessflorida.com

239.770.2421

Waiting…. to Sell Your Business

By Scott | October 3, 2011 - 9:49 am |July 16, 2013 business broker florida, buy a business, entrepreneur, Florida Businesses For Sale, how to sell a business, Main, small business owner

How Long Can A Business Owner Wait To Sell Their Business?

What if this down economy last 2,5, 10 years. I am generally an optimistic person. I started and owned a business for 20 years and during the lean years I continued to see the glass as half full, and fought thru some difficult years and successfully sold my business when I was ready.

I believe there are many business owners that had planned to have exited their business by now. Maybe they planned to sell their business and begin enjoying “that retirement thing” they have heard of, but had to delay those plans due the the reduced value of their 401k and other investments, the reduced equity in their home, and the lower revenue and profit of potentially their biggest asset- their business. Its easy and common to say ” I want to sell my business but I don`t want to sell it now when my business is down”. I understand that thought process.

Things To Consider When Deciding To Sell Your Business

But I think from here is where the thought process becomes more difficult. Considerations should include:

What if we remain in a prolonged recession- can I wait 3-5 plus years?
What happens in our world of supply and demand. Is a pent-up supply when released, going to affect prices/values downward as the increased supply hits the market?
Is there really this large number of baby boomers looking to exit businesses and move into retirement to further flood market and affect supply/demand price?”
Maybe I’m told I should wait… Ive been working for 20-30 years towards this “end game”, do I really want to wait?

Photo (c) apptivo.com

As a business broker in Florida, maybe some day I will go to a meeting of business owners and not hear stories about a foreclosure that one is going thru or their friend is going thru. Maybe I will attend a seminar or educational session put on by bankers or SBA bankers that doesnt sound empty and completely disconnected by thier purported audience- the small business owner , that needs financing or entrepreneur that wants to buy a business. This may happen, but its not going to happen tomorrow. But how many tommorows is it going to take. How many more birthdays will pass before the time is right to sell your business.

What Business Would a Business Broker Buy?

By Scott | July 14, 2011 - 8:58 am |July 16, 2013 business broker florida, Florida Businesses For Sale, how to sell a business, sell a business, selling my business, small business owner

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Many Business Owners will utilize a professional business broker to help sell their business. Many prospective business buyers may hire a business broker to help them in their quest to find and buy the right business. The perspective of a business broker will be different from the perspectives of both the buyer and seller.

The business broker has the perspective of being involved with reviewing many businesses and speaking with many prospective buyers and sellers. A “normal” business buyer or business seller may only buy or sell a business one time in their business life. But what sort of business would a business broker buy if he/she were buying a business?

What Business would a business broker buy?
Would a business broker buy a franchise
Would a business broker choose to start a business
Would a business broker decide due to current market conditions to wait and defer the decision to buy a business until the economy improves

Just as every business buyer will have their own set of criteria for evaluating and making a business acquisition, every business broker will have their own criteria they deem as important. As a business broker based in Florida, and former business owner ,I always look at businesses for sale from the perspective as a prospective business buyer and ask myself “Would I buy this business at this price if I was buying it?”. And if I ran across a terrific business opportunity that is a great value, that met my lifestyle and financial requirements, I may be a business buyer again.

Business Broker`s Criteria For Buying A Business

What are the few basic conditions I would most look for in today`s business environment.

Motivated Seller– I recognize the Seller really needs to want to sell. Not that the Seller needs to sell, but rather WANTS to sell for what ever reason it may be. Selling ones business is a process. Many business owners have been doing a certain thing for a long time, and continuing to run a business vs selling may be “ the path of least resistance’’, Attempting to sell a business on a whim or buying a business from someone “kind of interested” in selling can be arduous . For me, there needs to be a strong “want” when selling a business.
Seller Financing– I want to buy a business that offers Seller Financing. When Seller Owner holds a note on the business he has a vested interest in your success. To avoid not going thru a bank or other lender holds a high value to me and would be my first choice.
A Good value relative to asking price as a multiple of adjusted cash flow. A higher multiple may be ok but must be quantifiable.
I would be willing to buy a business that has poor financial records yet feel numbers can be substantiated. I recognize different small businesses handle their “accounting” in so many different ways, and if I can find good value does exist within a a company with poor records , I would have further interest. Some business buyers may be less comfortable when records on the surface dont make sense.
Recurring Income- Strong recurring revenue would be important to me. Am I walking into ongoing sales or am I going to have to go out and get new sales each and every month. And what is the cost to get that new business.

Photo (c) tampabusinessbroker.com

“A Rising Tide Raises all Ships. ” Now is a good time to buy a business. As the economy improves, I feel value will be realized. The process of buying and selling a small business requires certain individual criteria to be met. My criteria will be different than the next persons. What is important to others may be similar to the above criteria. But if you are looking to buy a business you need to outline what is important to you.

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