Why Owners Ask Before They Decide
Few owners start by listing a company. A partner wants out, a customer hints at an offer, or the owner turns fifty five and wonders what all those years built.
The useful first step is a number you can trust. Aim too high and the listing goes stale. Aim too low and a buyer keeps the difference. A broker who sells Miami area companies can tell you where yours sits and what would move it.
How Buyers Reach a Price
Buyers pay for earnings they can prove. Sales get attention, but the price follows the profit that appears on tax returns and in bank deposits.
For an owner run company under a few million dollars, profit is usually measured as seller's discretionary earnings: net income plus the owner's pay, benefits and personal costs run through the business.
Larger companies with managers in place are usually priced on EBITDA, which counts every salary as a real cost.
Many established companies change hands for roughly two to three times yearly cash flow. Where yours lands depends on risk: how much rests on you, how concentrated the customers are and how clean the books look.
What Makes a Miami Company Different
South Florida trades with the world. The port, the airport and the freight yards around Doral feed forwarders, customs brokers, parts suppliers and trucking firms. Boat dealers and marine service shops sit along every canal.
Restaurants, health care, home services and vacation rentals fill the rest. Many owners serve customers in English and Spanish, and many buyers come from abroad.
That mix shapes a sale. A buyer from another country wants proof of funds and a clear path to ownership. A buyer of a bar needs a liquor license the state will approve. A buyer of a roofer worries about hurricane season.
Our sector briefs explain what buyers check in the industries that trade most here.
Timing in South Florida
Hurricane season and the winter tourist months both move sales and profit around the calendar. Buyers look at a full year or more of results, so a sale launched right after a slow stretch can price lower than one launched after a strong one.
Signs a Company Is Ready to Sell
- Financial statements, tax returns and deposits that tell the same story
- Staff who can run a normal day without the owner
- No single customer or supplier carrying most of the revenue
- A lease with years left and a landlord who will cooperate
- Insurance, licenses and permits that a new owner can keep
Leases decide many Miami deals. Read lease assignment and landlord consent before you talk to anyone.
Cash Businesses and Proof
Plenty of Miami companies take cash, and buyers know it. If deposits do not match the sales you claim, a lender or buyer will discount the number or walk away. We explain what helps in proving cash revenue to a business buyer.
Paperwork Belongs in the Plan
A sale touches Miami-Dade County, your city, the state tax office and sometimes a licensing agency.
The closing forms section covers business tax receipts, equipment returns, tax clearances, liquor licenses, health care licenses and unemployment accounts.
What Happens After You Ask
A broker reads your answers and calls within about one business day. The first call covers a likely price range, timing and what you want after the sale. Nothing is marketed without your approval.
To talk first, call (786) 555-0134 on a weekday, or use the short form at the top of this page.