Zen & the Art of Selling your Business

Zen emphasizes rigorous self-control,, and the personal expression of  Doing Good in daily life, and Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice and inequality around the world, and it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.

 

A South Florida Business Broker has created a Zen Concierge Model to Selling your Business that provides a No Stress approach to the owner, and No Fees until your Business is Sold. Selling your Business

 

Confidentiality is a key component to our approach and your employees, customers, and suppliers are not alerted to the fact that your business is for sale. A binding Non Disclosure Agreement is signed by every prospect prior to receiving any information about your business.

 

The Concierge approach entails providing a custom Business Plan to reflect the potential value for your business. The Business Plan becomes the “Secret Sauce” to maximizing the value of your business, and clearly differentiates South Florida for Me Business Brokers in this space.

 

Our extensive database of buyers include Private Equity firms, Corporations, and Qualified Individuals who are looking for niche businesses whose potential has been limited by lack of capital, sales, or marketing resources. We currently have a strong demand for businesses with revenue between $500,000-$3,000,000.

 

Our Social Media Network is expansive, and Edward Sklar is one of the most socially connected Business Brokers in South Florida, with literally hundreds of thousands of professional connections across the country.

 

Also, Edward is a REALTOR, and used his Real Estate connections as a Referral Database

The www.southfloridaforme.com team of United Realty Group is accepts referrals from agents for clients interested in purchasing a business in South Florida.

If the ZEN Concierge approach sounds interesting please contact me at:

edwardsklar@southfloridaforme.com

www.southfloridaforme.com

Baby Boomers Dilemma-Buying a Business at your Age?

Florida Business Brokers

Baby Boomers Dilemma-Buying a Business at your Age?

As a card carrying member of the Boomer generation and a South Florida Business Broker  I hear the stories of why business owners are selling their Florida businesses. Perhaps even more interesting is why so many Boomers are interested in Buying a Florida Business at this stage of their life.

Search Florida Businesses for Sale

This is because many Baby Boomers in Florida are too young to retire, and are facing age discrimination in the corporate world.  What is a better way to use your years of experience in the corporate world than to leverage your strengths  and buy a business in Florida?

An interesting tidbit is that those in the age group between 55-64 years of age form businesses at a higher rate than any other age group. Many people in this group have substantial retirement accounts but  realize that starting…

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Baby Boomers Dilemma-Buying a Business at your Age?

Baby Boomers Dilemma-Buying a Business at your Age?

As a card carrying member of the Boomer generation and a South Florida Business Broker  I hear the stories of why business owners are selling their Florida businesses. Perhaps even more interesting is why so many Boomers are interested in Buying a Florida Business at this stage of their life.

Search Florida Businesses for Sale

This is because many Baby Boomers in Florida are too young to retire, and are facing age discrimination in the corporate world.  What is a better way to use your years of experience in the corporate world than to leverage your strengths  and buy a business in Florida?

An interesting tidbit is that those in the age group between 55-64 years of age form businesses at a higher rate than any other age group. Many people in this group have substantial retirement accounts but  realize that starting to use these funds too early makes retirement a tradeoff of trying to live life on a fixed and limited income.

Many people are realizing the cost of living in many places in the country does not enable a lifestyle that is conducive to quality of life that you have work so hard to achieve and why Florida has become a leading choice for those seeking a lifestyle change.

As a Boca Raton Business Broker I am primarily involved with South Florida businesses for sale which includes business listings in Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade Counties. However, my membership in the Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) gives me an opportunity to find businesses for sale throughout Florida.

Many people I have spoken with are not certain which type of business makes the most  sense for them which has prompted me to create a questionnaire to help narrow down the choices. If you have an interest in receiving a copy of this document send me an email

edwardsklar@southfloridaforme.com  and I will be pleased to send it to you.

Many of the businesses we have available offer owner financing, but please visit this link if you want to know:

How much of a Loan can I Qualify for?

Please think about how secure you will feel in buying a business with established cash flow where your expertise can bring it to another level. All of our clients receive an opportunity to work with our team of professionals for assistance in areas such as legal, accounting, marketing, sales, and business planning.

Financing a Business Acquisition in Florida

The Florida Business Brokers  team are members of the Business Brokers of Florida, and provide a concierge approach to helping buyers evaluate the appropriate business to meet their requirements. 

One of the questions we hear most often is how can I finance the business I am interested in?

We have compiled a list of resources for you to begin exploring, and have several lenders available who have been successful in obtaining loans for viable businesses.

One of more popular loans is those guaranteed by the SBA. Please follow this link to view a quick video showing the highlights of this program.

https://www.sba.gov/videos/sba-loans-explained

The State of Florida offers many types of financing:

Florida Development Finance Corporation (FDFC)
State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
Enterprise Florida, Inc.’s (EFI) Minority & Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Capital (MaSBEC) division partners with outside organizations to provide small, minority and entrepreneurial companies with training, development and financing options. EFI has an extensive network of state, federal and non-profit resources ready to assist small businesses in accessing capital, entering new markets, and creating revenue growth and job creation.
Capital Programs
EFI facilitates the following capital programs that match qualifying small businesses with lenders that can provide financial assistance and lines of credit:
Small Business Loan Support Program
EFI’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and Microfinance Guarantee programs are designed to assist small businesses in obtaining loan approvals and leverage private capital for use in startup costs, working capital, business procurement, franchise fees, equipment, inventory, or the purchase of owner‐occupied commercial real estate. The program provides a lender with the necessary security, in the form of a partial guarantee, for the lender to approve a loan or line-of-credit.
Bond Financing
The EFI‐managed Florida Development Finance Corporation (FDFC) was created to be a conduit issuer (not direct issuer) of industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) for small manufacturers and 501(c)3 organizations. The advantage of IRBs is the potential to provide borrowers significant interest and state tax savings. IRB proceeds may be used for capital expenditures only, such as the purchase of land, new long‐term equipment, and building construction/renovations.
Venture Capital Program
The EFI‐sponsored Florida Opportunity Fund provides venture capital for start-up and early-stage businesses. State Venture Capital Programs often take one of two forms: a state-run venture capital fund (which may include other private investors) that invests directly in businesses; or a fund of funds, which is a fund that invests in other venture capital funds that in turn invest in individual businesses. Many factors, particularly resources and available talent, inform a state’s decision on which form to choose.
Phase 0 Program
EFI’s SBIR/STTR Phase 0 Program helps Florida’s small businesses improve their chances of submitting a successful Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase 1 proposal for federal research and development funds. Eligible expenses include market research, technology consulting services, grant writing assistance, related travel and legal/accounting fees.
Minority Business Development
EFI has endeavored to support existing minority development efforts by partnering with established outside organizations to provide small, minority and entrepreneurial companies with training, development and financing options. EFI has an extensive network of state, federal and non-profit resources ready to assist small businesses in accessing capital, entering new markets, and creating revenue growth and job creation. Specifically, a Group of 6 or “G6” partners have been vital to a successful outreach and communication in this area. Our G6 partners include:
The Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development
The Florida Association of Minority Business Enterprise Officials
The Florida Consortium of Black Business
The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund

 

Please find much more info on funding and special situations such as businesses likely to secure a visa, businesses for veterans, etc..

If you are interested in finding a business for sale in Florida contact me:

edwardsklar@southfloridaforme.com

 

www.southfloridaforme.com

 

Why Gamble on Buying a Business?

Every business broker has had the experience of being contacted by a potential client who states very simply that they want to buy a Business or Franchise. How many of these conversations make it abundantly clear that they have misconceptions as well as no clear understanding of what type of business is suitable for their skill set and level of experience? The most common misconception that we encounter at www.southfloridaforme.com is the almost religious belief that buying a Business or Franchise is an automatic recipe for success. From there the conversation can reveal an unrealistic assessment of the skills necessary for success and the fact that the necessary skill set may vary greatly with the type of business. What to do? We have a buyer standing in front of us looking for guidance and sound advice in the decision to buy a Florida Business. Here is what we do:

We have developed a very straightforward and user friendly questionnaire that we insist that the client fill out. I ask them to include in the process any and all decision makers who will be part of the process of selecting the most suitable opportunity. I want to know how they feel about risk and debt. I want them to consider in advance how much they are willing to work so that they have a realistic expectation and choose a field that conforms to their expectation. We know there are businesses that are pretty much 40 hours, no weekends, etc. and others that will suck every hour of wakefulness out of you. We know the level of profit to expect and how that relates to the workload. They may have no idea about these things. By the time they finish filling out my questionnaire they will have considered and discussed most all of the most important factors that they should consider before rather than after they have started making any decisions. By going through their answers together we can develop a set of criteria to aim to satisfy.

Next comes the part of the questionnaire that deals with identifying their personal skill set(s). The goal is to address how any deficits in skill or experience can be compensated for or outsourced. The true talents, experience level, and skills that the client brings to the potential new business can now bring the conversation to the next step in the process.

Now I want to identify Business opportunities that meet the criteria we have developed. The last step is to compare what we have found to a non-franchise business opportunity in the same area, business category, and other criteria we have developed. It may just be that after a thoughtful conversation that our client can see that they are more suited for an existing business that is for sale. At least now we can have that conversation and truly deliver the guidance and sound advice that was their reason for contacting us in the first place.

If you would like to see this questionnaire please request so by emailing us at edwardsklar@southfloridaforme.com

Home Automation for South Florida Real Estate

(BPT) – Just a decade or two ago, home automation was still something of a novelty. Some homeowners might have had programmable thermostats in their homes, but many probably hadn’t thought of automating things like window coverings. Moreover, they likely viewed any home automation they did have as a convenience. Today, home automation is becoming an essential efficiency-enhancing element in many homes. Please visit www.southfloridaforme.com to learn about homes in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Lake Worth.

Right now, just fewer than 6 percent of American households have automated homes, but within four years that percentage is expected to triple to nearly 19 percent, according to data compiled by Statista.com. What’s driving more people to automate their homes? A report by icontrol networks found security, cost savings and eco-friendly energy efficiency are what people find most exciting about home automation.

Heating and cooling, lighting and security systems are among the most common elements automated in homes, but they’re far from the only ones that can save you money and make your home more efficient. Here are three surprising things you can automate in your home to further improve efficiency, boost energy savings and lower energy costs:

Window coverings

Shades, drapes, blinds, and awnings can all help control the amount of heat and light that enter your home. Selecting window coverings to block out light and heat in summer, and admit light in winter, can help your home’s heating and cooling systems work more efficiently. However, the effectiveness of window coverings hinges on opening and closing them at the right time — something you may forget to do, or not be home to do.

Automating and powering window coverings can help automatically maximize their effectiveness. Depending on the climate where you live, automating window coverings could yield energy savings of 11-20 percent, according to a study commissioned by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

Somfy’s motorized solutions easily integrate with any home automation system, regardless of brand or technology, and offer many options for controlling window coverings. Select from a wide variety of hand-held remotes, sensors, wall switches, and the myLink app that allows you to control your motorized window coverings from mobile devices.

Door locks

If you’ve ever been locked out of your house or had a guest arrive at your home when you were out, you probably wished there was some way to unlock your front door without a key — and from miles away. Smart locks allow you to do both those things and more.

You can replace or supplement an existing lock by installing a smart lock, and you won’t need a professional locksmith to do it. If you can install a regular lock and operate a smartphone, you have the expertise you need to add and use a smart lock.

In addition to allowing you to lock and unlock your door without a key, smart locks also allow you to operate the lock remotely from an app on your phone. You can also receive alerts when the door has been unlocked — a great way to track the comings and goings of latchkey kids. Many allow you to generate a single-use digital key that you can email to guests or service providers who may need to enter your home when you’re not there. Smart locks can also be paired with most popular home automation systems.

Smart appliances

Many appliance makers are offering smart, connected appliances with the big draw being their “wow factor.” However, some of the features of these appliances do hold the potential to improve a home’s efficiency and energy savings.

For example, a refrigerator that tracks groceries and lets you know when you’re about to run out of an important item could help you better plan your shopping trips. Fewer car trips conserves gas and reduces greenhouse emissions. Cooking is another area where automation can relieve some of the energy waste caused by human error. Smart ovens and cooktops can sense when to turn themselves off in case you forget to do it — reducing energy waste and fire risks.

More homeowners are discovering the convenience, security and efficiency advantages of home automation. Technology is helping make American homes more livable and enjoyabl

Chaos in South Florida Real Estate Market

 

It is a Sellers Market in the South Florida Real Estate area with Buyers facing inflated home values and a lack of realistically priced inventory. Our historically low interest rates may jump substantially over the next year leaving many buyers unable to qualify for loans they can afford in cities such as: Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Wellington, Parkland, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.

Let’s not forget the “Trump Effect” which adds uncertainty in many areas of the real estate market in both the construction and the lending sectors. The impact of immigration reform may add additional challenges to the housing sector which are difficult to assess at this point in time. In addition to the potential impact of fewer buyers from outside the U.S., the pricing of new construction may rise as builders have to pay more for labor as they build new homes.

For those on the fence about buying now or waiting until the sellers markets turns around the choices are difficult. Historic low rates have brought many buyers into the market which has raised the price of an existing home in Palm Beach county to $316,000 which is 41% higher than in 2012.

The South Florida for Me team believes the best solution for today is to buy new construction. We are working with many builders who are offering special deals to our clients to close out the year. Please take a look on our homepage www.southfloridaforme.com to see the new construction on homes and condos in the South Florida Real Estate market.

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Our financing partner United Funding has many innovative financing tools available can help you qualify for many types of mortgages. These range from conventional, FHA, V.A., Reverse Mortgages, etc.. Some of these programs require No Down Payment, or other options to best suit your requirements.

The Sky is Falling-Can Real Estate Agent Superheroes Save us?

REBSEA

The Sky is Falling-Can Real Estate Agent Superheroes Save us?

 

 

 

A new government study has shown the impact of climate change in the U.S., with alarming results including water scarcity, heat waves, torrential rains, and wildfires.

The bottom line of this study is that the global warming of only 2 degrees in the last century was a definitive reason for these catastrophes. If we do not take action we could wind up with temperatures as much as ten degrees higher by the end of this century with catastrophic results. This study is worth reading and learning about the ways to alter the consequences we are facing if no meaningful action is taken.

 

See National Climate Assessment Report

 

http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment

 

REBSEA, the Nonprofit Trade Association comprised of real estate agents and lenders who are committed to giving back to their community has made a commitment…

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REBSEA Real Estate Members Support Animal Welfare

REBSEA

REBSEA Real Estate Founders focus on Animal Welfare

MANY of the +REBSEA Founders and Members have a passion for the cause of animal welfare and animal rights.   If we humans have a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, then what rights do animals have in our society?  While this question may not yet be fully answered under the law, many are working to ensure the welfare of animals in a multitude of ways.  Here are a few examples of what some of the REBSEA Members are doing towards this end, and by creating the infrastructure of the REBSEA organization we hope to connect Realtors who are animal rights activists across the country so that they may work towards instituting some of these programs that have been successful in these local communities.  Only GOOD can come of this.

+Brenda Breit, one of the Founders of REBSEA and a…

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REBSEA is Expanding

REBSEA

Real Estate Social Enterprise Trade Association Expanding

We are finishing up our initial phase of assembling our network of REBSEA Founders. We could not be more pleased or more proud of the group of inspirational leaders who share our common vision of the potential for social enterprise to have a dramatic impact in our communities.

 If you have been invited to join us as one of our Founders please let us know if you will be joining us soon because our attention will now be shifting to the next phase of our planning. We will be offering general memberships to real estate agents and be focusing on those states, cities, and towns where we do not yet have REBSEA members. We are making steady progress in rolling out our development plan, phase by phase.

 REBSEA is beginning to show up in a variety of places as word gets around that…

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