Broward County sits between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade, and its business owners tend to serve customers across all three. If you own a trade, service or industrial business in Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs or any of the county's other cities, this guide covers how selling works locally and what a buyer will want to see.
Your main options
- Sell directly to a buyer. A one-on-one conversation under an NDA, with no listing and no broker commission on the buyer's side. You should still use your own attorney and CPA.
- List with a business broker. The broker markets the business and negotiates for a fee, typically paid at closing. Compare the trade-offs in broker vs. direct buyer.
- Sell to an employee, partner or family member. Often involves seller financing and a longer handoff.
- Sell to a competitor or a larger company. May pay for synergies but often folds your brand into theirs.
Broward-specific things to prepare
- Receipts and licensing. Broward County issues a local business tax receipt, and most cities also require their own. Locally licensed trades go through the Broward County Central Examining Boards, while state-certified licenses come from DBPR. Licenses belong to individuals, so read Florida contractor license transfer if you are the qualifier.
- The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. All of Broward is inside the HVHZ of the Florida Building Code, so exterior work such as roofing, windows, doors and garage doors follows product-approval and inspection rules. A crew that knows that process is part of what a buyer is paying for.
- Older buildings. Many Broward condos and mid-rise buildings are decades old, and Florida's building recertification and condominium milestone inspection rules keep life-safety, roofing, electrical and elevator contractors busy. If part of your revenue comes from that work, show it by contract and by year.
- Your site. Industrial and flex space in places like Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Dania Beach and Davie is limited. If you own your yard or building, decide whether to sell it with the business or lease it to the buyer. See selling a business with real estate.
- Waterfront businesses. Broward's canals, the New River, the Intracoastal and Port Everglades support a large marine trade. If you run a marina, boat repair yard, marine construction or charter business, see our marina and boat repair pages.
- Bilingual customers. Many Broward businesses serve English, Spanish and Haitian Creole speakers. If that is part of how you win work, tell the buyer.
What buyers look at
Clean financials, documented add-backs, recurring revenue such as service agreements, a team that will stay and a business that does not depend entirely on you. Our guide on what your business is worth and the SDE multiples guide explain how that is usually weighed.
Keeping it confidential
Trade and supplier circles in Broward overlap more than most owners expect. Sharing numbers only under an NDA, and only with a serious buyer, protects your employees and customers. See how to sell a business confidentially.
Where we buy in Broward
We buy service, trade and industrial businesses across Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Miramar and many others. Try our free valuation estimator or request a confidential conversation.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult your own attorney and CPA.