Selling an Offshore Business to a US Buyer

An AllBusiness.com blog reader contacted me to ask how they could sell their US Virgin Isle. teak business to someone in the US.  This barely qualifies as offshore, but close.   With the state of the US dollar, there is more activity with foreign investors buying US companies than the other way around, so for this business I would look at not only US buyers but other buyers as well.

I don’t know how large this business is but I get the feeling it isn't that large.  Most small/medium businesses get marketed on the Internet so I would want to make sure it gets listed on www.bizquest.com, www.bizbuysell.com, and especially www.businessesforsale.com, since that one is international in scope.  If a business broker is used, I would make sure it get listed on these tops sites, or if this is a do-it-yourself project, I would pay the listing fees to get on the sites.

For the Virgin Isle. business I would strongly recommend getting a Florida intermediary involved.  Florida brokers are the best in the nation at cooperating with each other, and even have a MLS type system for business opportunities set up through the Florida business brokers association.  Since I would imagine a buyer for this business coming from Florida, I would want to be on that MLS system. 

How to choose a broker?  Go to the International Association of Business Broker's site www.ibba.org and find one with a CBI certification (Certified Business Intermediary).  The CBI means a broker is serious enough about his profession that he spent the time and money to get specific training in the craft.  I’m certified, and with an MBA degree I thought it would be a piece of cake.  It wasn’t.