Month One: Value and Decide
The first step is a valuation: a price range, the reasons behind it and a list of things that would raise it. Most owners learn more in this one conversation than in a year of guessing.
Then you decide. Sell now, prepare for a year, or keep the company. All three are fine answers.
Months Two and Three: Packaging
If you go ahead, the broker builds a selling document from your financials. It tells the story of the company and its numbers without naming it. This is called a blind listing, and your name stays out of it.
The broker and your CPA settle the addbacks that set your earnings figure. Weak or unsupported addbacks are fixed here, not discovered later.
Months Three to Five: Finding Buyers
The broker markets to a wide pool, then narrows it. Buyers sign a confidentiality agreement before they see your name. Then the broker checks they can pay: proof of funds, a lender conversation, relevant experience.
For a company worth about $500,000, the buyer often lives within 20 miles. For $5 million or more, buyers often come from much farther and travel for the right fit.
Offers and the Letter of Intent
A serious buyer submits a letter of intent. It names the price, how it is paid, what is included, a transition period and an exclusive negotiating window.
Compare the terms, not just the number. Cash at closing, a seller note and a payment tied to later results are three different things.
Due Diligence
The buyer checks everything. Tax returns, bank statements, contracts, leases, licenses, insurance, staff files and customer lists. Lenders check too.
This stage causes most delays. Having documents ready and keeping results steady are what keep a deal from sliding.
Closing
Attorneys draft the purchase agreement. Most small and mid sized Florida companies sell as assets, with the buyer taking equipment, contracts and goodwill but not the legal entity.
At closing, money moves, keys change hands and a training period starts. Part of your price may be held back, for example until the state confirms your sales tax is paid.
After Closing
The paperwork is not done. You will close accounts, file final returns and decide what to do with your entity. Our closing checklists cover the Florida steps, starting with closing your Florida sales tax account after a business sale.
Keep a copy of every filing. Questions can come back months or years later.
How Long Each Stage Really Takes
Owners often feel a sale drags even when it moves at a normal pace. Six months from start to closing is fast. Seven to nine is typical. Some take longer when a lender, a license or a lease holds things up.
The delays that hurt most are avoidable: missing documents, a landlord who will not answer and addbacks nobody can support. Start with those and the calendar shortens.
Keep running the company normally throughout. A dip in results during the sale makes buyers hesitate, and a sudden jump makes them suspicious.
Who Does What
You supply records and make decisions. Your broker prices, markets and screens buyers. Your CPA checks the numbers and the tax effects. Your attorney drafts and reviews the contract. A good team keeps each person in their lane.
Prepare, Then Go
Everything above goes faster when the books are clean and the company runs without you. See getting a Florida company ready to sell, or start with the form, or call (305) 555-0147.