Building Your Deal Team: The CPA and Attorney You Need When Selling
A business broker is a key player when you sell, but I am not the only professional you need in your corner. The most successful sales I am part of have a small, coordinated team behind them: a broker, a CPA, and an attorney, each doing what they do best. If you are preparing to sell a business in Northeast Florida, here is who belongs on your deal team and why.
Your business broker
This is my role. I value the business, prepare it for market, find and qualify buyers, manage confidentiality, and drive the deal from first conversation to closing. I am the quarterback, keeping the process on track and the other advisors coordinated. But I work alongside your financial and legal experts, not in place of them.
Your CPA or accountant
Your accountant is essential for two reasons. First, clean, well-organized financials are the foundation of a good sale, and your CPA helps produce and stand behind them. Second, and this is huge, the tax consequences of how a deal is structured can change your net proceeds significantly. A good CPA helps you understand the after-tax result of different structures so you keep more of what you sell for. Loop them in early, not at the last minute.
Your attorney
A business sale involves real contracts with real consequences: the purchase agreement, the reps and warranties, non-competes, leases, and more. An attorney who handles business transactions protects your legal interests, reviews and negotiates the fine print, and makes sure the documents say what you think they say. This is not the place for a general lawyer who dabbles. Experience with deals matters.
Why coordination matters
The magic is in the team working together. When your broker, CPA, and attorney communicate, the process is faster and smoother, and nothing falls through the cracks. When they operate in silos, you get delays, conflicting advice, and last-minute surprises. Part of my job is keeping everyone aligned and moving toward the same closing.
Build your team early
The best time to assemble your deal team is before you go to market, not in the middle of a deal. If you do not already have a transaction-savvy CPA and attorney, I can point you toward professionals who know this kind of work. Let us build the right team around your sale. The first conversation is free and completely confidential. Call me at (904) 735-8994 or reach out here.
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