Florida Business Exchange (FBX) has been serving buyers and sellers in the state of Florida since 1990.
Founded by the current Broker/Owner, Bert Risdon, the company was one of the few business brokers in the state and established its first office in the Orlando, Florida area.
In the early 2000’s, FBX began to expand and opened offices in Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. In 2016, FBX established a corporate headquarters in Volusia County, Florida and began to actively recruit new associates for the various offices around the state.
As of today, FBX is one of the largest non-franchised business brokerage firms in Florida and has sold over 1500 businesses worth over 500 million of dollars.
About the Founder…
Bert Risdon is the Founder, Broker and President of FBX.
Bert has been in the industry since 1966 and he has successfully completed several hundred transactions himself. Originally from Michigan, Bert moved to Florida in 1990 where he established FBX.
Bert is also one of the founding members of the Business Brokers of Florida (BBF); which, is the largest business broker co-brokering organization in the country. As a result of Bert’s experience, he is regarded as one of the most experienced business brokers in Florida and is often consulted by other brokers on complex or difficult deals.
Our Services
Florida Business Exchange, Inc., is a full service business and commercial brokerage firm specializing in:
- Business Sales
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Valuations
- Acquisition Searches
- Counseling for Buyers and Sellers
- Divestitures
- New and Resale Franchises
- International Investment Visas
1400+
Projects Completed
Successfully
$400M+
Total Closed
Transactions
No Obligation Consulting
Many private individuals would like to buy a business, but they don’t know where to begin. They are often confused about the process, what type of business suits them best, or what size business they can afford to acquire.
Florida Business Exchange offers an initial no obligation consultation with qualified prospective business buyers or sellers to help them gain focus and confidence about the process.
How much is my business worth?
A business enterprise, like any asset, is worth what a buyer is willing to pay. Buyers ask countless questions, but they are primarily concerned with a fair return on their total investment. In addition, prospective buyers make many judgments about market position, proprietary know-how, competitive strengths, quality of the assets, growth potential, and risks of the business.
A professional business broker helps the business owner determine the true value of the business, and, more importantly, can help prospective buyers understand the reasons for such value and structure a sale that maximized the benefits of buyer and seller.
Confidentiality
We will handle the sale of your business with full confidentiality. This included having the buyers sign Non-Disclosure Agreements and using confidentiality when listing your business and employing our extensive advertising techniques.
The Business Valuation is an appraisal methodology, as well as an excellent marketing tool. It is similar to “compiled” financial statements. The Appraiser accepts at “face value” facts presented by the business owner. In most cases this valuation methodology is acceptable to both SBA and conventional lending institutions.
Done properly, with the right marketing enhancements, the valuation also becomes an invaluable presentation asset in the search for right buyer match.
Frequently Asked Questions
A business broker can help you identify the available opportunities currently on the market based on your criteria. They are able to sift through the opportunities that may already be “under contract” or have characteristics that would not make them a good fit for your situation. Additionally, if there are very few opportunities on the market in your desired industry or location, a business broker can begin a search to find business owners interested in selling, but who are not currently listed for sale. A business broker will also be the one who helps facilitate the transfer of information between you and the seller from NDA to the closing.
Almost every business owner is concerned with the general public and/or competitors finding out that they are for sale. For that reason, business for sale listings contain only enough information to help a buyer decide if it fits with their basic criteria (i.e. price, cashflow, industry, general area). To move beyond the publicly available information, you will need to provide proof of identity (driver’s license) and sign a non-disclosure agreement. Depending on the type of business you are interested in, you may be required to provide a financial statement and buyer qualification information to ensure your ability to purchase a business in a specific price range and/or ones that require a certain skillset/licensure.
No one ever said buying a business was easy. Since a transaction can involve complicated information, we always recommend that a buyer assemble a team of professionals; which would include attorneys and accountants.
The E-2 process can be complex, and the good news is that FBX has worked on a number of successful E-2 transactions. We always encourage candidates to seek the counsel of a qualified immigration attorney, while working with their FBX team member on finding the best investment business for their application needs.
Generally speaking a buyer should expect and be prepared to pay for the following items when buying a business: the purchase price or at least the required down payments if financing is involved, due diligence expenses such as attorney’s and accountant fees, closing costs, insurance expenses, and deposits (lease, power, water, phone, internet, etc.…) The fee to FBX is generally paid by the seller at closing.
FBX has a great database of the current, active business for sale listings on their website, www.fbxbrokers.com. If you don’t find what you are looking for there, contact an FBX team member who can provide you with a customized search and set you up with regular updates on new businesses that come on the market.
FBX strongly encourages a buyer to independently verify the business financials as part of the “due diligence” phase of the acquisition process. We recommend using a CPA who is skilled in the “due diligence” process to help review and verify the seller’s financials.
While the time frame can vary from business to business, you should be able to expect a seller to provide between two and four weeks of training at no additional cost. For more complex businesses, the seller may offer additional training, or it can be a point of negotiation.
Prices of businesses can vary greatly, However, in the small business market, you need to have at least $20,000 to $25,000 for a down payment on a business in the $40,000 price range. As the purchase price increases, so does the amount of money you need to make the deal happen. Keep in mind, you will also want to have money available for expenses (i.e. working capital) until you have identified the cashflow of the business.
Some businesses may require the entire purchase price to be paid in cash. In those instances, lender financing or a cash purchase would be required. The availability of lending for the purchase of a business depends on the credit worthiness of the buyer, the financial needs of the buyer, the quality of the financials of the business being acquired, and the ability of the business to cover its normal expenses along with the loan payment and still be able to pay the buyer enough money to cover their normal living expenses. FBX has relationships established with several lenders who offer Small Business Administration loan products and can loan up to 90% of the purchase price (SBA and lender policies apply).
Some businesses will be offered with “Seller Financing”. This means that the seller will accept a significant down payment from a buyer and allow the buyer to then make regular monthly payments on the remaining purchase price of the business. This will require the buyer to execute a note with a personal guarantee. This can be a great option when traditional lending may not be the right fit for the buyer, or the business being acquired.