Sell Your Business in Florida with a Licensed Broker
Ryan C. Winter is a licensed Florida business broker with Truforte Business Group, representing owners who are selling a business anywhere in Florida, from his base in St. Augustine. Our step-by-step listing process makes it simple to understand your business’s value, prepare to sell, list your business, and transition with ease. We’ll guide you every step of the way.
The Process
How the Sale Works, Step by Step
Selling a business is a sequence, and skipping steps is how deals fall apart late. Here is what I do at each stage, and what you can expect.
Confidential conversation
We talk about your numbers, your team, your customers, and what you want life to look like afterward. No listing agreement, no pressure. Sometimes the honest answer is wait a year, and I will say so.
Valuation and preparation
I normalize your earnings, document the add-backs a buyer and a lender will accept, and weigh your business against what comparable Florida businesses have sold for. Then we fix what can be fixed before going to market.
Confidential marketing
Your business goes to market as a blind profile with no identifying details, listed through the Business Brokers of Florida MLS and the major business-for-sale marketplaces, and put in front of Truforte's statewide buyer database.
Buyer screening
Every buyer signs a non-disclosure agreement and demonstrates financial capability before learning your name. You meet only qualified, serious buyers, and you decide who gets to look.
Offers, letter of intent, and negotiation
I bring you offers with the terms explained in plain English: price, structure, seller financing if any, and what the buyer expects from you afterward. Then I negotiate for the best combination, not just the highest number.
Due diligence and financing
This is where most sales are won or lost. I manage the buyer's document requests, keep the SBA lender and the attorneys moving, and solve the problems that surface, because one always does.
Closing and transition
I coordinate the closing with the attorneys and the closing agent, and plan the handoff so your employees, customers, and the new owner start on solid ground. Then you get paid.
Before We List
What to Have Ready
Documents buyers and lenders will ask for
- Three years of business tax returns
- Year-to-date profit and loss statement and balance sheet
- A list of owner add-backs and one-time expenses
- Your lease, with its remaining term and any assignment clause
- Equipment and vehicle list with rough values
- Employee roster with roles and tenure, no names needed
- Licenses, permits, and any contracts that transfer
Rough numbers are fine to start
You do not need a perfect package to have the first conversation. Most owners have the tax returns and a P&L, and we build the rest together. If your books are behind, tell me; getting them current before listing is often the single highest-return thing an owner can do.
Read the complete guide to selling a business in Florida for the long version.
What it costs
No upfront fees, no retainer, no marketing charges. I am paid a success fee at closing, out of the proceeds, and I put the exact structure in writing before you sign a listing agreement. Attorney and CPA fees are separate and you choose those advisors.
How long it takes
Most Florida businesses take six to twelve months from listing to closing. Well-prepared businesses at a realistic price often sell faster; the ones that drag usually have a pricing problem, a financing problem, or an owner the business cannot run without. Preparation is what moves the timeline.
Start With a Confidential Valuation
Find out what your business is worth before you decide anything. No cost, no obligation, and nobody finds out you asked.
Request My Free ValuationOr call or text (904) 789-1276, or book a call.
Trusted by Businesses Since 1994
Truforte Business Group
Ryan C. Winter is a licensed Business Broker with Truforte Business Group, representing business owners in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and across Northeast Florida and in many other states through Truforte’s broad brokerage capabilities and national reach. By partnering with one of Florida’s most respected business brokerage firms, Ryan provides sellers and buyers with a confidential, trusted, and highly effective path to completing a business sale or acquisition.
Truforte has been a leader in the confidential sale of Florida businesses for many years. Their philosophy, “Trust is the strength of healthy relationships” aligns directly with Ryan’s approach to advisory work and client relationships. As members of the Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) and the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), and with leadership that includes Certified Business Intermediaries (CBI), Truforte offers a level of professionalism, ethical standards, and buyer exposure that sets them apart.
Ryan brings complementary strengths to the partnership, offering operational expertise, exit-readiness guidance, and value-growth advisory services that help owners prepare their companies for a stronger, more profitable sale. As a licensed broker operating within Truforte’s trusted framework, Ryan is able to assist with business sales throughout Florida and across multiple states, leveraging both his advisory background and Truforte’s national and international buyer network.
Together, Ryan and Truforte deliver a comprehensive, relationship-centered approach that helps business owners maximize value, maintain confidentiality, and achieve successful transitions.
Free Resources for Business Owners
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sell my business in Florida?
Start with a confidential valuation so you know what the business is worth, then organize three years of financials and fix anything a buyer is likely to question. I market the business without naming it, screen every buyer for financing and fit, and negotiate price and terms with you. From there we work through due diligence and SBA financing, and close with your Florida attorney and CPA. Most owners who sell their business in Florida go from first call to closing in six to twelve months.
What do I need to sell my business in Florida?
Three years of business tax returns, a current profit and loss statement and balance sheet, a list of owner add-backs, your lease, an equipment list, and any contracts or licenses that transfer. Make sure your company is active on Sunbiz and your Florida sales tax and reemployment tax accounts are current, because buyers and their attorneys check both. Rough numbers are fine for the first conversation; we build the rest together.
Can I sell my business if I still run it day to day?
Yes, and most owners who sell their business are in exactly that position. Buyers will want a transition period where you train them and introduce key customers and staff, usually a few weeks to a few months. The more of the daily work you can hand to a manager or written process before you list, the more buyers will pay and the smoother the sale goes.
How long does it take to sell a business?
Most Florida businesses take six to twelve months from listing to closing, and well-prepared businesses at a realistic price often sell faster. Timing depends on your size, profitability, and how clean the financials are, which is why I help you get ready before we list.
How do you keep the sale confidential?
Confidentiality is built into every step. Your business is marketed without identifying details, and every buyer signs a non-disclosure agreement and proves they are financially qualified before they ever learn who you are.
What does it cost to work with a broker?
I work on a success-fee basis with no upfront fees. You pay when your business sells, not before.
How do you decide what my business is worth?
I start with a confidential valuation that looks at your financials, cash flow, assets, and comparable sales in your market. That sets a realistic, defensible asking price.
Serving Business Owners Across Florida
Ryan C. Winter represents business owners across Florida, with his deepest roots in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and St. Johns County. Explore selling guidance for your area:
Sell a Business in Jacksonville · Sell a Business in St. Johns County · Sell a Business in Clay County
I also serve Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Augustine Beach, Vilano Beach, World Golf Village, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Mandarin, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Palm Coast, and Flagler Beach.
Ryan C. Winter, Business Broker with Truforte Business Group · Florida Real Estate Broker License BK3362329 · Verify at the Florida DBPR