Start with what you can buy
Before looking at listings, know two numbers: the cash you can put in, and the total price you can finance. Most small business purchases in Florida are paid for with a mix of your cash, a bank or SBA loan, and sometimes a note the seller carries. A lender will look at your experience, your credit and the business's recast earnings. A seller will take you more seriously once you can show how you will pay.
Then decide what kind of business fits you. Owner operated businesses give you a job and an income. Manager run businesses cost more but free your time. Medical businesses bring licensing and supervision rules you need to plan around.
Honest numbers
The asking price is where the conversation starts. What matters is whether the earnings are real. We walk buyers through the recast financials: what was added back, why, and whether the add backs are documented. If a number is soft, we tell you. The valuation page explains SDE, EBITDA and typical multiples.
Financing structure
The structure of a deal matters as much as the price. We help you look at how much cash to put in, whether an SBA loan fits, whether the seller will carry a note, and how an earnout or a transition period can bridge a gap in price. The right structure protects you if the business performs differently after the sale.
The lease and the real estate
A business is only as secure as its location. We check the lease term, the rent, renewal options and whether the landlord will approve an assignment. If the building is for sale with the business, or you need a new location, we handle that too, because One International World is also a licensed Florida real estate brokerage.
Buyers from Latin America
Our buyer network includes buyers in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, and we work with them in Spanish and Portuguese. Buying a business in Florida from abroad works much like buying locally, with a few extra steps: forming a company, opening a US bank account, documenting where your funds come from, and planning how you will live and work here.
The E2 visa path
Some buyers use the E2 treaty investor visa, which is tied to a substantial investment in a real, operating US business that the investor will run. It is only open to citizens of countries with a qualifying treaty with the United States. Colombia, Mexico and Argentina are on that list; Brazil is not, so Brazilian buyers usually look at other paths. The business has to be more than a small passive investment, which affects which listings make sense.
Visa questions go to an immigration attorney. Bring one in early, and we will help you find businesses that fit the plan you build together. Some listings on the Business Brokers of Florida service are marked as visa qualified.
Where to look
See our listings and search the wider Florida market on businesses for sale. When you register as a buyer, you see listings sooner and can move through NDAs and financials faster.
Questions to ask about any business
Before you make an offer on any business, from us or anyone else, get clear answers to these:
- Do the recast earnings tie back to the tax returns and bank deposits?
- How much of the revenue depends on the owner, and will the owner stay through a transition?
- Will the key staff stay, and are any of them related to the owner?
- How many years are left on the lease, and will the landlord approve an assignment?
- What equipment needs replacing soon, and is any of it financed?
- For medical businesses, which licenses transfer and which have to be applied for again?