Florida businesses are sold quietly every day — employees, customers, and competitors never hear a word until the owner decides they should. The tools are blind marketing, NDAs before any identifying detail, and buyer screening before access. Here is how a confidential business sale actually works, who has to know and when, and what to do if a rumor starts.

Add-backs are the expenses on your books a new owner would never pay — and every documented add-back dollar gets multiplied when your business is priced. This guide covers the legitimate categories, how buyers and lenders verify every line, and the seven add-back mistakes that quietly destroy buyer trust in Florida deals.

Your tax return is built to show as little profit as possible. Seller's discretionary earnings (SDE) reverses that — it's the number buyers actually price your business on. Here's how SDE is calculated, how it differs from EBITDA, and a self-audit to run before any buyer runs it for you.

Most Florida business sales take six to twelve months — and the difference between a fast deal and a stalled one is decided before the listing ever goes live. Here is the honest, stage-by-stage timeline: valuation, confidential marketing, buyer screening, due diligence, financing, and closing. Plus the Florida-specific friction points — license transfers, lease assignments, seasonality — that catch owners off guard.

Most Florida business brokers charge a success fee of 8–12% on Main Street deals, paid at closing — but the percentage is the least interesting part. This guide breaks down how fees scale on larger deals, which upfront charges should make you pause, and why the cheapest fee usually costs sellers the most.

The SBA just doubled the amount a buyer can borrow to purchase a business — from $5 million to $10 million. For Florida owners, that means a deeper pool of financeable buyers and bigger deals that banks will actually fund. Here's the seller's field guide: what changed, what SBA-ready books look like, and how to find the buyers who can close.

Most West Palm Beach owners pick a brokerage by Googling "small business broker" and calling whoever shows up first. It's the wrong move. The firms that actually specialize in selling small businesses here are Florida-focused, work the lower-middle market, and run a confidentiality-disciplined process — and you can identify them inside a single conversation.

Most owners who ask this question are off by 30 to 40 percent — usually high. Small businesses in West Palm Beach sell for 2.0 to 4.5 times seller's discretionary earnings, but where you land in that range comes down to a handful of things buyers can actually verify. Revenue concentration, owner dependency, recurring contracts — these move the number more than most owners expect. Here's what the valuation process actually looks like, and what you can do now to protect your number before you need it.

Most business owners in West Palm Beach who decide to sell have one thing in common: they don't know what they're walking into. The process is longer than they expected, more detailed than they planned for, and full of moments where the wrong move costs real money. Here's what it actually looks like — from the first valuation conversation to the closing table.

A professional business valuation isn't just a number — it's a diagnostic. It tells you what a buyer will see when they look at your business, and it gives you time to fix what you don't like. This guide covers what a valuation actually includes, what it costs, who should do it, and why the owners who get the best outcomes in West Palm Beach get their number twelve to eighteen months before they're ready to list.

Selling a small business in Palm Beach County is one of the most complex financial transactions you'll ever navigate — and most owners don't realize that until they're already in the middle of it. From valuation and confidential marketing to buyer screening and closing, every step carries real consequences if handled poorly. The good news? With the right local advisor and a clear process, prepared sellers in today's active South Florida market have serious leverage. Here's exactly how the process works — and what it takes to walk away with the outcome you're aiming for.

Business brokers in West Palm Beach typically charge between 8% and 12% of the final sale price. For most deals under $1 million, 10% is the standard. But the commission rate is only part of the story. What you actually get for that fee — and whether it's worth it — depends entirely on who you hire. Here's what every business owner in West Palm Beach should know before they sign anything.

Most business owners in West Palm Beach ask about commission rates before they ask about anything else. It's a fair question. But it's rarely the right first question. Business broker fees in South Florida typically run 8% to 12% for deals under $1 million — and that number shifts significantly as the transaction size grows. What shifts even more is what that commission actually buys you. A well-connected broker with a deep buyer network and 25 years of closed deals in this market can put far more money in your pocket than a discount option charging three points less. Here's what the numbers actually look like — and what they mean for your sale.

Most business owners don’t know this: the person you choose to sell your business is either going to multiply your exit value or quietly kill your best offer.

Too many South Florida entrepreneurs list their $3M business with a broker who only knows how to sling $300K auto shops. Or they overpay a fancy M&A advisor when they just needed a dialed-in operator to connect them with real buyers.

A defensible business valuation starts with normalized earnings, then adjusts for buyer risk, transferability and financing. This guide explains how South Florida owners can understand their range and improve it before going to market.

You’ve built something amazing. Maybe from scratch. Maybe you took something broken and made it profitable. Either way, the late nights, the payroll stress, the wins—they're yours.

Now you’re staring down the big question: "Should I sell my business?" And if I do... how do I sell without screwing it all up?

Welcome. You’re not alone. We’ve walked hundreds of business owners through this exact transition, and here’s the truth:

Worried your financials aren’t flawless? You’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean your Orlando business isn’t sellable. At Sailfish Equity Advisors, we’ve helped 1,000+ owners sell, even with messy books. Learn how to move forward with confidence.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, "What’s my Orlando business worth?" you’re not alone. Valuation myths are everywhere, and we’re here to bust them. This guide walks you through what really drives value and how the right Orlando business broker helps you exit smarter—and wealthier.

Selling an Orlando business is a confidential, multi-stage project—not a simple listing. This guide shows owners how to set priorities, price from buyer evidence, prepare records, screen real buyers, compare complete deal terms, survive diligence, and protect the people and legacy that matter after closing.