This is the first part of the 2 hour interview with Roy Duenas of North Florida Business Brokers.

Roy is very experienced with the ins and outs of relocating to Florida and takes a 'hands-on' role helping his clients through the various paperwork, systems and red-tape.

Introduction

Tom: So this is Tom Cone (Brits Moving To Florida.com) talking to Roy Duenas of North Florida Business Brokers in Gainesville, Florida.

The reason we are getting together today on this wonderful Florida, sunny afternoon is to talk about some of the interesting steps you can help people with; looking at businesses, judging businesses and eventually buying the business for Brits to get over to Florida easily.

What was your real nice phrase when we first met?

Roy: With no pain, least trauma, to make it a pleasant transition to Florida. It's a landmine for anybody buying a business or property in Florida because there are so many hidden things including fraud they've got to be aware of that.

Tom: Right, so I just kind of... we will start at the beginning. My experience is I'm really quite a capable chap and where I've gone in my career is that I'm able to earn money online so I'm really quite portable.

But many members of the Brits Moving To Florida website need to look at a different type of business or perhaps an easy business to run. So what's a good starting point, from the first phone call?

Roy: From the first phone call, the first step is to probably assess the expertise of the business broker and also of the attorney that may be handling the immigration process for the family that is going to be moving here from the UK or for that matter any other E2 visa treaty country.

You need to make sure that you have made the decision to move, that it's not going to be over night because the faster you want to make it the more painful it is going to be financially and emotionally.

Tom: Right Roy. That's one of the things: you have to time it.

Roy: If you have kids you have to time it before the end of the school year over there and before the beginning of the school year here because if you throw them in 2 or 3 months after the school year has started, they will be at a disadvantage.

Tom: When does the school year start here?

Roy: Sept 2 or last week of August around there. You have to select a business that is good for you and your family. And of course you will be working less hours than you are working in the UK.

So if you move to Florida just think about doing something that is pleasant, that is not difficult, that you will not have to depend on staying in the business for more than 6 or 7 hours a day; that you will not be working more than 4-5 days a week. It is conceivable for somebody working in the UK having been working 10-15 hours a day for the last 20 years to come over here and relax and, of course make good money

Tom: How long have you been established?

Roy: With North Florida Business Brokers since 1986

Tom: So that's 10, 20 years.

Roy: 20 years yes, good maths!

Tom: I meant to say 20 years.

Roy: Before then I was in mergers and acquisitions for the propane industry in the United States and the initial public offerings in Wall Street. I didn't live there though. I lived here in Florida always and dealt with IPO's.

Tom: In those 20 years about how many people have you helped approximately?

Roy: We tried to assess that number, I showed you that file since the last one, the earliest one was in 1988. I don't know it's a huge number probably between 30 - 100 deals per year. There have been lean years with a small number of closings and there have been been very, very rich years.

Tom: So somewhere between 1500 and 2000?

Roy: I would say yes, not all British, this is overall. Many of those, a good percentage of those, I would say 15-25% have been repeat businesses from buyers that have bought a business from or through us and sellers alike.