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Emerald Coast Business Intermediaries was engaged to sell a business that had been listed with a specialty broker for a year. Two months after ECBI listed the business, the business was SOLD!  Using our database of growing contacts, ECBI was able to bring the opportunity to a group of buyers who made an offer that was negotiated and agreed upon.  With the help of Dewayne Youngblood, Market President with Progress Bank, the deal was able to be funded in record time. We appreciate the willingness and professionalism shown by Dewayne and Progress Bank. It is a pleasure dealing with a lender who worked with us in a timely manner to secure funding. We look forward to working with Dewayne and Progress Bank in the future.  If you or anyone you know is looking to sell or buy along the Emerald Coast, remember the team at ECBI.

CNBC.com, USAToday.com and Bloomberg.com continue to report that small business confidence and optimism is looking strong for 2018! Each ran articles this month detailing the reasons for the optimism that has been gleaned from recent surveys.

The CNBC/SurveyMonkey Q1 Small Business Confidence Index rose five points from 57 to 62, the largest quarter-to-quarter move and a record high that the index has seen since this survey began measuring last year. This survey was taken after President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law on December 22, 2017.

Business owners’ opinions have risen significantly since 2017’s Q4 survey. As of this quarter, twice as many owners expect changes in tax policy to have a positive rather than negative effect on their businesses. The survey also found that half of small-business owners are now expecting to see tax cuts in 2018. Confidence rose in most demographic groups, especially in small business companies with 5 to 9 employees, where the owners were ages 35 – 44 and 55 -64.

In a Year-End Economic Report for 2017, the National Small Business Association found that more than half of small-business owners feel the national economy is doing better than it was just six months ago (only 43% felt the same in Dec. 2016, and only 20% at the end of 2015).

USAToday.com recently reported on a survey by the National Small Business Association and ZipRecruiter that surveyed 1,633 business owners. Almost 60% questioned in December and January anticipate that the economy will grow in the next 12 months compared to 45% that anticipated that in July 2017! 53% of the owners said their revenue rose over the last 12 months. That marks the first time in ten years that the majority of owners in this survey reported increases. 30% of owners also reported they had added jobs in the past 12 months.

Bloomberg.com reported Feb. 13 that the National Federation of Independent Business survey for February showed optimism among small U.S. companies rose more than forecast just last month. (A previous survey was reported in last month’s blog.) A record number of owners said now was a good time to expand. NFIB’s William Dunkelberg and Holly Wade reported that the new tax law has “produced the most recent boost to small business optimism…. And federal government-related cost pressures continue to abate, offering a more supportive business climate for small firms.”

For more information, please check the following articles:

CNBC.com article

USAToday.com article

Bloomberg.com article

According to the Business Insider, the National Federation of Independent Business released a November 2017 survey that showed small business optimism is the highest it has been since the Reagan years. One of the other exciting indexes showed that job creation plans were up 6 points (24% of respondents said that they plan to create new jobs). Juanita Duggan, the FNIB’s president and CEO said, “Small business owners are exuberant about the economy, and they are ready to lead the U.S. economy in a period of robust growth.”

For more information check out:

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfib-small-business-optimism-hits-highest-level-since-1983-2017-12

The state of Florida has created a non-profit corporation that helps veterans transition to civilian life in Florida. Veterans Florida educates veterans on how to open and run their own businesses. It also links veterans with employers as well as supplying grants to employers that will hire and train veterans.
In the Florida Panhandle, Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program offers tuition-free online and on-campus instruction in the “Lean Startup Method” for veterans at the University of West Florida and Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. A veteran must be either honorably discharged, or have one year left of active duty service, or be a current or former member of the National Guard/Reserves. The program also provides veterans with access to business leaders and mentors.
Bobby Carbonell, the executive director of Veterans Florida, says that military service makes veterans uniquely suited to owning and running their own businesses. He adds that veterans have the character traits of initiative, attention to detail and tenacity that will help them succeed in business.
Three veterans, David Glassman, Erick Moody and Christine Yerkes, credit the program with helping them to focus on making their businesses successful. They were able to set goals, build structure, fine-tune business plans and research their markets. The program’s mentors tailor each individual’s program to their specific needs.
For more information on Veterans Florida check veteransflorida.org
For the article, “Veteran Entrepreneurs Victorious in Florida”, 850 Business Magazine, go to http://www.850businessmagazine.com/October-November-2017/Veteran-Entrepreneurs-Victorious-in-Florida/

Carson Wilber wrote an interesting article, “Northwest Florida is the Next Silicon Valley. Here’s Why”, that discusses the various merits of Pensacola and the Emerald Coast’s technological advances. He discusses 3 main reasons that support the area’s ability to be the next big tech sector.

1. NW Florida has the highest concentration of military bases in the nation that host research and development of scientific and technological advancements.
2. Florida has a low corporate tax rate of 5.5% and offers other incentives for new businesses.
3. The University of West Florida has top school rankings, $20MM in state funding this year and has many accomplished alumni in the defense and aerospace industries.

The University of West Florida’s Innovation Institute, Innovation Campus Network, Center for Entrepreneurship and its Center for Cybersecurity have all gained national recognition in the world of technology and cybersecurity. UWF will begin a “first of its kind” Robotics and Intelligent Systems PhD program. UWF also earned the NSA’s classification as the National Center of Academic Excellence Cybersecurity Regional Resource Center for the SE region of the US.

NW Florida has numerous outreach programs for middle and high school aged students such as the STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The area is also the home to many other nonprofits, including Invictus Knowledge Institute and Innovation Coast as well as a vast array of private businesses that support the Emerald Coast’s advancements in the technological fields.

For more information, please read Mr. Wilber’s article: https:/www.linkedin.com/pulse/northwest-florida-next-silicon-valley-heres-why-carson-wilber/

BizbuySell Insight found the sale of small businesses were up 29% from the first quarter of 2016. They also reported that these sold businesses grossed an 8.4% increase in median revenue from 2016 Q1. Median cash flow for these same businesses was also up 6.6% from the year before. These are the highest totals of key financial indicators that BizBuySell has recorded since they began tracking in 2007!

2017 Q1 data shows that the positive trend in the sale of businesses and their increased financials mirror the improving U.S. economy and stock market. According to Bob House, the president of BizBuySell, “A strong supply of attractive listings and qualified buyers, and an administration looking to reduce costs for small businesses should fuel the market over the upcoming months.”

For more information: http://www.bizbuysell.com/news/media_insight.html

Jay Offerdahl of Viking Mergers and Acquisitions brings up a valid point when he recommends that business owners enlist the services of an experienced business intermediary. “Most people wouldn’t try to sell their house without a real estate agent, file a tax return without the guidance of a CPA, invest without a financial advisor or go to court without a lawyer, so why go about selling your greatest asset yourself?”
An experienced business intermediary will bring you, the seller, the following benefits:
• Confidentiality
• Allows Seller to Concentrate on Running the Business
• Large Network of Qualified Buyers
• Marketing
• Valuation
• Experience
• Negotiation
• Motivation to Close the Deal
• Resources: CPAs, attorneys and lenders
• Assist buyers in obtaining financing
Business owners that sell their businesses on their own often deal with breached confidentiality, wasted time with buyers, poor marketing and an undervalued and poorly structured sale.
The business intermediaries at Emerald Coast Business Intermediaries have over 30 years combined business intermediary experience along with years of financial and marketing experience. Let us save you time and energy when you are ready to sell your business.

The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce conducted a survey that shows business confidence for the state of Alabama went up 2.5 points to reach 65.2 in the second quarter of 2017. This is a 10 year high for the Alabama Business Confidence Index! Business leaders in Alabama are expecting rising sales, profits, hiring and capital spending to continue to rise. They are most confident in forecasting increased sales.

The survey panelists had high confidence for businesses in the Wholesale Trade category and especially businesses in the “All Other Services” category. The “All Other Services” category includes professionals in Recreation and Accommodation, Education and the Arts.  The Confidence Index for the Finance/Insurance/ & Real Estate category and the Construction category were also up significantly.

Almost 70% of the panelists forecast continued growth in Alabama’s economy for the next quarter. All three levels of businesses: small (under 20 employees), mid-sized (20 to 99 employees) and large (greater than 100 employees), also have a high level of confidence in the U.S. economy.

Information for this article comes from:

http://cber.cba.ua.edu/abci/results/ABCI-Q2-2017.pdf and The Birmingham Business Journal 4/4/17