One State, Three Very Different Markets
Florida is long, and a company's value depends partly on where it sits. A marine shop in the Keys, an insurance agency near Orlando and a restaurant in Pensacola draw different buyers and different questions.
We group the state into three regions: Southern Florida, Central Florida and Northern Florida. Each page explains how sales tend to go there.
Owners who call us run companies with roughly a million dollars or more in yearly sales. If that is you, the brokers behind this service have a buyer pool for you statewide.
Why Owners Ask Before They List
Few owners who contact us are ready to put a company on the market. Something usually changed. A partner wants out, a hurricane season made the risk feel heavier, or a buyer made an offer that seemed low.
All of those begin with one question. What would a real buyer pay? Guess too high and the company sits for a year. Guess too low and the extra money goes to the buyer.
A broker who closes Florida deals can give you a range with the reasons behind it. The call costs nothing and you decide what comes next.
How a Price Range Gets Built
Buyers pay for earnings they can verify. Sales matter only as far as they turn into profit that shows up on your tax returns and bank statements.
Under roughly $2 million, that profit is usually measured as seller's discretionary earnings, or SDE. It starts with net profit and adds back your pay, your benefits and personal costs the company carried.
Once a hired manager runs the day to day, buyers switch to EBITDA. Many established companies trade at about two to three times their yearly cash flow, with risk setting where in that range yours lands.
Details that move you up the range are mostly in your hands:
- Books, tax returns and deposits that agree with one another
- Managers who deal with customers without you
- Revenue spread across many customers, not a handful
- A lease, licenses and contracts that pass to a new owner
- Insurance and storm plans that a buyer's lender will accept
Our guide on how Florida buyers price a business shows the math with examples.
Seasons, Storms and Snowbirds
Many Florida companies live by a calendar. Winter residents fill restaurants, clinics and rental properties. Summer slows some trades and speeds up others. Hurricane season brings repair work for one company and risk for the next.
Buyers expect those swings. What worries them is a year that looks different from the last three without an explanation. Monthly results for three years let a broker show the pattern instead of a mystery.
Who Pays and How
Many buyers in this size range use an SBA 7(a) loan, which can reach $5 million. The lender orders an independent valuation and often asks the seller to carry part of the price on a note.
Larger companies draw private equity groups and strategic buyers, many from outside Florida. At higher prices, buyers travel for the right company, and plenty look at Florida because of its population growth.
Florida Has No State Income Tax, but Plenty of Paperwork
A sale still touches sales tax, reemployment tax, county property tax and the state's corporate records. A buyer can even hold back part of your price until the Department of Revenue confirms your sales tax is paid.
The closing checklists walk through each Florida step in the order most sellers meet it.
After You Send the Form
A broker reads what you entered and calls, usually within one business day. The first call covers value, timing and what you want next. Nothing is signed and nobody markets your company.
If you would rather talk first, call (305) 555-0147 on a weekday, or use the short form at the top of this page.