Business brokers
Murphy Business & Financial
Murphy Business is a business brokerage network handling the sale and purchase of small and mid-size operating businesses, with a separate lower middle market mergers and acquisitions practice. It also performs business valuations, machinery and equipment appraisals, franchise resales for both franchisors and franchisees, and business consulting.
Valuations are carried out by appraisers working under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice of the Appraisal Foundation and the Business Appraisal Standards of the Institute of Business Appraisers, with products including a Calculation of Value report compliant with IBA and NACVA standards. They are used for sales and acquisitions, financing, corporate restructuring, shareholder disputes, ESOPs, prenuptial agreements, and gift and estate tax work. Machinery and equipment appraisals come as a desktop report prepared by an Equipment Certified Appraiser from the Institute of Equipment Valuation, or as an on-site certified appraisal, both under USPAP.
Consulting covers preparing a business for sale, segment profitability analysis, retirement and exit strategy planning, financing, and day-to-day management help. The firm says the largest single source of buyers is its own network of Murphy brokers, that listings are marketed in the media suited to the industry, and that the average transaction takes four to six months.
Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC was founded in 1994 in Clearwater, Florida, and grew from a single office into a franchise network with offices in 38 states and Canada, reporting over $4.3 billion in completed transactions. Because offices are franchised, commission and fee terms, and which certifications the individual brokers hold, should be confirmed with the local office handling the listing.
Best for
Owners selling an operating business — including one that comes with real estate — who want a local broker backed by a national buyer network, and buyers shopping listed businesses. Not a fit for a property-only sale with no business attached.
What they do
- Business sales brokerage
- Lower middle market mergers and acquisitions
- Business valuation and appraisal
- Machinery and equipment appraisal
- Business consulting and exit planning
- Franchise resale for franchisors and franchisees
- Buyer representation
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Ownership | Franchise |
| Memberships | Valuations performed under USPAP (The Appraisal Foundation), Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA) standards, National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) standards |
What stands out
- Founded in 1994 in Clearwater, Florida, and now a franchise network with offices in 38 states and Canada.
- Reports over $4.3 billion in completed transactions.
- Valuations follow USPAP and the Business Appraisal Standards of the Institute of Business Appraisers.
- Equipment appraisals are performed by Equipment Certified Appraisers from the Institute of Equipment Valuation.
- Puts the average transaction at four to six months from listing to close.
Common questions
- How long does it take to sell a business?
- The firm puts the average transaction at four to six months, while noting a sale can happen quickly or take more than a year. The factors it names as driving the timeline are pricing the business appropriately, aggressive marketing, access to a large pool of buyers, and lending sources that have approved the financing.
- How does Murphy Business find buyers?
- Listings are marketed in the media appropriate to the industry, and brokers also search within the industry and adjacent industries to stimulate buyer activity. The firm says the largest single source of buyers is its own network of Murphy brokers across the United States and Canada, and that the goal is qualified buyers willing to pay market value and move quickly.