www.SellaBusinessFlorida.com

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity 2011

Posted by Scott Messinger on December 27, 2011

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity 2011

I am a Florida Business broker working with business owners selling their Florida businesses, and business owners and individuals 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.

Businesses Sold in Florida Activity for 2011

Businesses Sold in Florida through Business Brokers of Florida in 2011 - 859 vs 931 in 2010. About a 7% drop.

Averages of all businesses sold in 2011:

Average Sales – $541,000 Average Price Sold For- $243,000 Average Adjusted Net- $96,000 Days on Market 224 (note all DOM (days on market) numbers DO NOT include those taken off the for sale market)

Florida businesses sold in 2011 Items of note:

Restaurants sold in Florida – Number sold- 199 Avg Sales-$326k Avg Sold Avg.Price-$140k Adj Net-$67k DOM 211

over 20% of all businesses sold in 2011 were restaurants! Currently 670 are for sale

Dry Cleaners/Laundry Business sold in Florida-39 Avg. Sales-$174k Avg. Sold Avg. Price-$119k Avg. Adj Net-$64k

fairly active sector- fairly low business entry point, and fairly easy learning curve.

Manufacturing businesses sold in Florida- 15 Avg. Sales $1.3M Avg.Sold price-$713k Avg. Adj Net-$148k DOM-275

Florida is a very service oriented business community, not a lot of manufacturing activity, relatively.

Lawn Service Businesses Sold in Florida-33 Avg. Sales-$190k Avg. Sold Price- $ 115k Avg. Adj Net- $73k DOM-186

lots of lawn service business sold and for sale in Florida but almost exclusively “smaller” with average sales of $190k

Insurance related businesses Sold in Florida-15 Avg. Sales- $226k Avg. Sold Price-$335k Avg. Adj.Net- $110k DOM -166

I took note of insurance because they received a very good multiple when compared to most other industries 3+ times adjusted Net. and the average days on market less than 6 months- a fairly fast sell time.

As of December 28,2011…

Businesses Currently For Sale through Business Brokers of Florida – 3392 vs. 3373 in last 30 day period. about same.

Number of Business Currently for Sale in Jacksonville Florida Area (Duval County and St.Johns County) – 209
Number of Business Sold in Jacksonville Florida Area in2011- 48
Number of Restaurants for Sale in Jacksonville Fl Area-56 (about 25% of all Jacksonville businesses for sale)

Current Business Interest and Activity Observations: as of December 28,2011

Is there a pent up supply being created.? Every year business owners get closer to exiting their businesses. Another year has gone by. How many business owners planned or intended to sell their business in 2010 or 2011 and have decided to delay that action?

Will this “supply” of businesses for sale affect the price that a business may realize due to a potential increase in supply? If demand stays consistent and supply increases, prices by market forces tend to move down. So how does one balance the strategy to wait until company performance improves vs selling into a potentially lower valued market? I always like to think tomorrow will be better as I am a fairly optimistic person- things will get better, just not sure how many tomorrows its going to take.

*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

7 Ways to Exit Your Business-Choose One

Posted by Scott Messinger on December 8, 2011

There are several ways one may exit their business. Business Owners may want to exit a business they have owned for decades just because they just no longer have an interest. Or a small business owner may “get out of their business” after a short period of time of just owning it a year or 2. Most all entrepreneurs and small business owners think long and hard before they decided to buy a business or start a business. So often so little thought goes into an exit strategy. A small business may be the result ones passion or burning desire to provide a certain service or product. A small business can also be and usually is one of the largest asset a small business may own. It can be a passion but it also is an investment. A significant investment. Most investments one enters into an exit strategy should exist before the investment is made.

You buy a commercial property to rent out with the intention to rent it for 10 years, hope for market appreciation and plan to sell in 10 years.

You buy a stock. You buy at $10 a share and plan to sell if stock goes to $15 (unless the company fundamentals change)

You decide to start or buy a business, it gets going and does well- is your plan just to run it forever? Well you cant, because none of us are here forever.

If your plan is to start a business grow and run the business until you are 65 and then sell it- you have a plan and are ahead of most. It is so easy to start and buy a business and spend a lot of time preparing for that acquisition or start up, then get wrapped up in the transition or start-up, then get wrapped up in the day to day, and then one day you get real sick, and you have no one in your business that knows how to run your business, and laying in bed decide that you may need a plan- it may be to late then.

I am currently a business broker based in Florida and find my role of meeting with small business owners brings awareness to the need for an exit strategy. I had owned my own small business for 20 years and realized how ensconced with the day to day one can get with their small business. There are several ways to exit ones business- I primarily work with small business owners looking to sell their Florida business, but observe some of the other exit mechanism and have been personally involved with several of these methods.

These are a few methods a small business owner may utilize to exit a business. Some are good, some not so good.

The Good, the Bad and Ugly Ways to Exit Your Business

Sell at profit- can include “merger with other companies
Sell at Loss
Close your doors-bankruptcy, long term negative cash flow.
Poor Health, Significant Injury, Death
LBO (Leveraged Buy Out)
Successfully grow it to such a size and take it public
leave to children

Or some combination of the above- one could die and leave the business to the children

But when you look at the above list you recognize that some of the exit strategies you choose on your schedule and others are “chosen for you” and you have less control over the time frame. Your plans can change and often do, but I suggest you plan to have a plan

Posted in Florida Businesses For Sale, Main, sell a business, sell a business florida, selling my business, small business owner | Tagged business broker, business broker florida, buy a business, exit strategy, Florida business for sale, Jacksonville Fl business for sale, Jacksonville towing business for sale, small business owner | Leave a comment

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity (Nov.22, 2011)

Posted by Scott Messinger on November 22, 2011

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.

Recent Businesses Sold in Florida Activity (as of Nov 22. 12, 2011)

Businesses Sold in Florida through Business Brokers of Florida in last 30 days - 42 vs 28 in prior 30 day (Oct.12,2011) documented period
Top industry of Businesses Sold in Florida through Business Brokers of Florida in last 30 days: Restaurants (as usual…) other most active- Lawn Service, Contractor, Retail
Avg Days it took to sell Florida Businesses Sold in last 30 days - 235 (about 8 months vs. – (5 months)- in last documented 30 day period (Oct 2011), doesnt include businesses that were removed from market without selling (One Florida business sold in 1341 days)

As of Nov 22, 2011…

Businesses Currently For Sale through Business Brokers of Florida – 3373 vs. 3301 in last 30 day period. up about 2%

Number of Business Currently for Sale in Jacksonville Florida Area (Duval County and St.Johns County) – 217
Number of Business Sold in Jacksonville Florida Area in last year- 46

Current Business Interest and Activity Obseravtions: as of Nov 22, 2011

My profession has me involved with speaking to many business owners in Florida and many “prospective business buyers”. Recent discussions continue to enforce consistent facts about todays business acquisition and sales market in Florida:

People are actively looking to buy good businesses.
Business Owners are hesitant to put their business up for sale because the business is down from peak or higher levels.
A business offering Seller financing both attract more buyers and increases the likelihood of the business sale.

*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

Posted in business broker florida, buy a business, Florida Businesses For Sale, Main, sell a business florida | Tagged business broker florida, buy a business, Florida business for sale, florida lawn service business for sale, Jacksonville Fl business for sale, Jacksonville towing business for sale, sell a business florida, Towing business for sale | 5 Comments

When Your Product or Service is You

Posted by Scott Messinger on October 31, 2011

Doing business in today’s web based world is changing almost daily. You work on your website, get on Facebook, you try to learn all about social media to either try to just keep up, or maybe to move your marketing efforts forward.

Your competitors may have the ability to learn more than you to stay a step ahead of you. They may have discovered the next best Facebook app to get them more Likes, Fans, and or interest. Others may have more money than you and can outspend you, they can Out-Tweet you, out post you, out pagerank you, out comment you, out link you….

But no one can Out-You You. Or stated in the first person- “You Cant Out-Me Me” .We all are busy trying to move our businesses forward but do we really know if Twitter will be in ours or others marketing plans 5 years from now. So how or where does one focus. Is your product of service you sell- you?

I am a business broker based in Florida and I help/work with people with the process of buying and selling of businesses. One aspect of the business that makes a business more saleable is the ability for the business to not be dependent upon the owner so that if/when the owner is “replaced” a transition can be seamless. So building a business based on the brand or product being “You” can appear counter-intuitive.

My view based on my experiences is that a customer does business as much with “the way a company does business”, “company philosophies”, “company approach”, as much as they do business with a certain individual. When you think about it we do like the person that we do business with but what is it that we really like? I tend to think it’s the way that person deals with me, and it’s easy to assume that approach starts” at the top”. So I think it’s easy to assume if a customer/client likes the approach or way you do business as an owner and your “brand” is based on how you approach service and ethics and business practices- that this is who the company is and the company is NOT you. If you as the business owner demand honest ethical reliable hard work from yourself and customers see that, they know what your expectations as a business owner are. So if you as a business owner are not truthful, don’t return phone calls, think it’s ok to quote one price and then demand another price after the work is done why would the customer expect anymore from anyone else in your organization.

But the product/brand that you are building on the web content that you post to build your brand may not need to be about you by name- it may be your philosophies, your ways and approaches toward running your business. I have been posting business articles about my experiences, views, and ideas for several years. When someone engages me as a business broker -they are engaging me, and they can understand me through my writings if they choose to do that as a starting point- or they can choose not to engage me as a business broker because of my writings.

Maybe you don’t have the most experience, maybe you are not the smartest, maybe some of what you offer has some shortcomings- most everything does. We all have areas of what we do that can use improvements, but you know you do bring something to the table that is unique to you.

So as the internet changes and strategies change on what new site/app/blog/tweet/hashtag/social bookmark you should be using- you can retain certainty that you and your story will forever remain unique. There is only one You. But as the old song goes from The Who – Who Are You? – You are your feelings, your beliefs, your experiences, ideals, likes, dislikes, the good and the not-so-good of you, and your way of going thru life (and business). Nobody can do you better than you. So when you are creating or building a brand, and the brand is you- no competitor no matter how much money or how smart or how experienced is going to out you- you.

Posted in business broker florida, Florida Businesses For Sale, Main, small business ideas, small business owner | Tagged business broker florida, Florida business for sale, Jacksonville Fl business for sale, running a small business, small business owner | Leave a comment

Website & SEO Before You Sell Your Business

Posted by Scott Messinger on October 19, 2011

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.

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.

Posted in 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 | Tagged business broker florida, buy a business, exit strategy, Florida business for sale, how to sell a business, Jacksonville Fl business for sale, seo, small business owner | 1 Comment

Scott Messinger, Lic Business Broker.

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity 2011

7 Ways to Exit Your Business-Choose One

Florida Business For Sale Florida Businesses Sold Activity (Nov.22, 2011)

When Your Product or Service is You

Website & SEO Before You Sell Your Business

Subscribe!

Florida Businesses For Sale

green business for sale

Links

ezine

Recent Post

Archives

Recent Posts