Selling a Business: Top Questions Buyers Ask
If you’re selling a business, you need to not only prepare your business to attract buyers, but also be ready to answer questions from buyers that inquire about the business. For many prospective buyers, the decision of whether or not to buy the business will be heavily influenced by their interactions with the seller. It is therefore important to be able to reply to […]
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Tax Planning Timeline: What to Do 12 Months Before You Sell
Good tax planning before selling a business isn’t a closing-week task, the strategies that actually save money need months of lead time to work. Quick Answer: The 12-Month Tax Planning Timeline Effective tax planning before selling a business starts about 12 months out: reviewing entity structure and QSBS eligibility early, addressing S-corp conversion timing by month 9, evaluating installment sale and deal structure options […]
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State vs. Federal Taxes When Selling a Florida Business
The state vs federal taxes selling a business question has a genuinely different answer in Florida than it does almost anywhere else, and it’s worth understanding clearly rather than assuming. Quick Answer: State vs. Federal Taxes in Florida When it comes to state vs federal taxes selling a business, Florida has no state income tax, so a Florida-based seller only faces federal capital gains […]
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Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS): Could You Avoid Capital Gains Entirely?
Most sellers have never heard of the QSBS capital gains exclusion, and for the ones who qualify, it’s one of the most significant tax breaks available anywhere in the federal tax code. Quick Answer: QSBS Capital Gains Exclusion The QSBS capital gains exclusion, under Section 1202, can exclude up to 100% of capital gains on the sale of qualifying C-corp stock, up to the […]
Read more1031 Exchanges and Business Sales: Do They Apply in Florida?
A lot of sellers ask about a 1031 exchange business sale strategy assuming it works the way it used to, and the rules changed enough in 2018 that this is one of the most common tax misconceptions in a business sale. Quick Answer: 1031 Exchanges and Business Sales A 1031 exchange business sale strategy today only applies to real property, since the 2018 tax […]
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DBPR License Transfers: What Florida Business Sellers Need to Know
For a lot of Florida businesses, a DBPR license transfer is a required step that sellers don’t think about until a buyer’s attorney raises it, often later than it should have been addressed. Quick Answer: DBPR License Transfers A DBPR license transfer is required whenever a business licensed by Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation changes ownership, this includes many restaurants, salons, contractors, […]
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The Due Diligence Checklist Every Florida Business Seller Should Prepare
Buyers don’t wait until the last minute to ask questions, and having a due diligence checklist ready before you list is one of the clearest signs of a seller who’s actually prepared to close. Quick Answer: The Due Diligence Checklist The core due diligence checklist covers four categories: financial documents, legal and corporate records, operational documents, and licenses or permits. Missing pieces in any […]
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Asset Sale vs. Entity Sale in Florida: What Sellers Need to Decide First
Before you get far into a sale, the asset sale vs entity sale question is one of the first structural decisions that shapes everything else about your deal, including your tax bill. Quick Answer: Asset Sale vs Entity Sale In the asset sale vs entity sale comparison, an asset sale transfers the business’s individual assets to the buyer, while an entity sale transfers ownership […]
Read moreHow Long Does It Take to Sell a Business in Florida? A Realistic Timeline
One of the first questions every seller asks is how long does it take to sell a business in Florida, and the honest answer is: longer than most owners expect, but with a fairly predictable shape once you know the stages. Quick Answer: How Long It Takes to Sell a Business How long does it take to sell a business in Florida? Most Main […]
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Tips for Buying a Fast Food Franchise in Florida
Buying a franchise is one of the safest ways of starting a successful business. You get a tested and proven business model, a reputable brand name with an established customer base, and the support of a large corporation. However, buying a fast-food franchise in Florida may not be for everyone. Below we share useful both for buying a large, well-known franchise, or a small […]
Read moreHow Industry Multiples Affect What Your Business Is Worth in Florida
Business valuation isn’t one-size-fits-all, and industry multiples business valuation math is exactly why two businesses with identical profit can sell for very different prices. Quick Answer: How Industry Multiples Affect Business Valuation Industry multiples business valuation depends on how predictable and durable a business’s revenue is, not just its profit. Recurring-revenue businesses typically support higher multiples than relationship-driven, owner-dependent ones. Two Florida businesses can […]
Read more5 Things That Secretly Lower Your Business Valuation (And How to Fix Them Before You Sell)
Before you list, it’s worth knowing what can quietly lower your business valuation, because most of these are fixable if you catch them early. Quick Answer: What Can Lower Your Business Valuation Customer concentration, messy financials, owner-dependency, weak lease terms, and a declining revenue trend are the factors most likely to lower your business valuation. Each one is addressable 6-18 months before a sale. […]
Read moreWhy SBA Financing Changes How Your Business Gets Valued
SBA financing business valuation is a connection most sellers don’t think about until a buyer’s loan application stalls, but financeability affects your number long before that. Quick Answer: SBA Financing and Business Valuation SBA financing business valuation works because a wider pool of SBA-qualified buyers means more competitive offers. A business that clearly qualifies for SBA financing is being priced by lenders and buyers […]
Read moreHow to Prepare Your Financials for a Business Valuation in Florida
How you prepare financials for a business valuation often matters as much as the numbers themselves: clean books earn buyer trust, messy ones invite discounts. Quick Answer: How to Prepare Financials for a Business Valuation To prepare financials for a business valuation, reconcile your books to your tax returns, document every add-back as you go, and have two to three years of clean records […]
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What Does a Business Broker Actually Do? A Florida Seller’s Guide
Most owners have only a vague sense of what does a business broker do beyond “help sell the business,” and the real job is far more involved. Quick Answer: What a Business Broker Does What does a business broker do, in short: confidential marketing, buyer screening, valuation and pricing, and managing the deal from offer to closing. It’s less about finding a buyer and […]
Read moreCBI, IBBA, BBF: What Business Broker Credentials Actually Mean
Anyone can call themselves a business broker, which is exactly why CBI IBBA BBF business broker credentials are one of the most reliable signals of professionalism. Quick Answer: CBI, IBBA, and BBF Credentials Of the CBI IBBA BBF business broker credentials, CBI (Certified Business Intermediary) is the highest bar, requiring documented experience, coursework, and ethics compliance. IBBA and BBF membership signal ongoing professional standards. […]
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