Why Selling Businesses Is Hard: Alessandro Antezza on the Real Reason Deals Fall Apart

Alessandro Antezza is a fellow business broker in Tampa Bay, and an Italian immigrant who built his own version of the American Dream here before helping hundreds of others do the same. In this episode he and Vince talk shop: why selling a business is so much harder than selling real estate, and what it actually takes for someone abroad to buy a US business. In this episode we get into: - Why it's easier to sell a piece of real estate than a business, and why so much of a business's real value lives in the owner, not the numbers - Why 70 to 80% of businesses that go to market never sell, and about 50% of deals fall apart during due diligence after the offer is accepted - What it actually takes for someone abroad to buy a US business: the team, the visa process, and why $150,000 is the realistic starting number - The SBA test: why a business that can qualify for SBA financing is worth more, even if you're planning to sell 3 to 5 years from now - A deal that almost died: canceling a contract to protect a buyer, and getting the hardest signature of his career from a seller who took 3 months to trust him - Building a life and a business in the US after growing up in Italy, and what actually makes the American Dream real If you're a business owner thinking about selling, or an entrepreneur abroad thinking about buying a business in the US, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more real conversations with people who've built, bought, or scaled a real company, and share this with someone thinking about their next move. Connect with Alessandro Antezza / Sunshine Eagle: Website: sunshineagle.com Instagram: instagram.com/sunshineagle Facebook: facebook.com/sunshineagle LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sunshineagle YouTube: youtube.com/@Sunshineagle Alessandro is also the author of The American Entrepreneur's Playbook. Recorded at Elite Podcast Studio, Tampa Bay's premier podcast facility. Premium. Polished. Powerful. Website: elitepodcaststudio.com Email: hello@elitepodcaststudio.com Instagram: instagram.com/elitepodcaststudio YouTube: youtube.com/@ElitePodcastStudio Facebook: facebook.com/elitepodcaststudio LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/elite-podcast-studio Everything about business. Nothing held back. All Business with Vince Perri is built for business owners who want straight talk about starting, scaling, and building something worth owning. New episodes every week. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 🔗 Website: https://www.vinceperri.com 📊 Free Value Clarity Roadmap: https://go.vinceperri.com/vcr-yt 📅 Book a Call with Vince: https://go.vinceperri.com/calendar-page-yt-1 Connect with Vince: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinceperriofficial/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinceperriofficial/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VincePerri/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinceperriofficial Listen on: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38621Yz Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3sbjPIs Chapters: 0:00 Cold open: why is it so hard to sell a business 3:07 Helping Italian immigrants come to the US through business acquisition 10:03 How much money you actually need: the realistic $150,000 number 14:11 The real value isn't in the business, it's in the owner 17:38 Why 70% of businesses never sell, and how to prepare 3 to 5 years out 23:22 A transaction that almost fell apart 28:43 The hardest signature of his career 32:20 The American Dream, and why it's so much harder to build a business in Italy #BusinessOwner #Entrepreneur #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Scaling #ExitPlanning #BuildToSell #AllBusiness #VincePerri