BreakThru Realty

Selling a Business Before Retirement

Most owners sell once, and most sell for retirement. The sale goes best when it starts two or three years before the date you have in mind, while the earnings are still rising and you have the energy for a transition. It can also be done in six months when it has to be.

Storefronts and parked cars along a small town main street at sunset

Reviewed by Tyson E. Sam, Founder and Broker of Record, BreakThru Realty, Florida License 3565210

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

Find Out What My Business Is Worth · (786) 914-1017

Start Before You Are Tired

Buyers pay for earnings that are stable or rising and for a business that does not depend on the owner. Both are easier to show two or three years out than in the last six months, when owners tend to stop investing, let staff thin out and let the numbers drift. Deciding the year you want to be out, then working back, gives time to clean up the books, extend the lease, document the processes and hand duties to a manager, each of which raises the price.

What You Will Actually Receive

The price is not what you keep. Debt is paid off at closing, the broker's fee is paid from the proceeds, inventory and work in progress are settled, and taxes depend on how the price is allocated among the assets, which the buyer and seller report to the Internal Revenue Service on the same form. A seller note or an earnout moves part of the money into the years after closing. The review sets out an estimate of what you would take home under each structure, so the decision is made on the net, with your accountant's input on the tax.

The Transition You Will Be Asked For

Nearly every buyer asks the seller to train and introduce them: a few weeks for a simple business, months for one where the owner holds the relationships, sometimes a paid consulting period after that. A retiring owner should decide how long they are willing to stay and in what role before the business is listed, because it shapes which buyers fit. A noncompete for the area and a period is standard; it is written so it does not stop you doing what you plan to do next.

Staff, Customers and the Announcement

The sale is confidential until it closes, and the announcement to staff and customers is planned with the buyer so the business keeps its people. Key employees are sometimes told late in the process under an agreement, or offered a stay bonus the buyer and seller fund together. Customers learn of the change in the way least likely to send them elsewhere, often as an introduction by you.

Find Out What My Business Is Worth

Tell us the type of business, the city, how long it has operated, annual revenue, owner benefit or seller's discretionary earnings, EBITDA if you track it, monthly rent and lease expiry, number of employees, how involved you are, why you are selling, your timeline and whether you would consider seller financing. A licensed BreakThru business broker prepares a confidential valuation from comparable sales and replies within one business day. Everything you tell us is confidential, the valuation is free, and nothing is listed or announced unless you decide to sell. Prefer to talk now? Call (786) 914-1017.

Questions Owners Ask

How much is my business worth?
Most owner operated businesses in Florida sell for a multiple of seller's discretionary earnings: net profit plus the owner's salary, benefits and one time or personal expenses run through the business. Where the multiple falls depends on the industry, the lease, the staff, the trend in the numbers and how much the business depends on you. A confidential valuation gives you the range for your business and the reasons behind it.
Will my employees, customers or landlord find out?
Not from us. The business is marketed without its name or address, buyers sign a nondisclosure agreement and prove their funds before they learn who you are, and showings happen after hours or are presented as something else. The landlord is approached only once there is an accepted offer, because the lease has to be assigned.
How long does it take to sell a business?
Six to nine months from listing to closing is common for a well prepared small business, faster when the price is right and the records are clean, longer for businesses that need a licensed buyer or a franchisor's approval. The escrow period after an accepted offer is usually sixty to ninety days.

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