Eric J. Gall
MBA, CM&AP, CBI, ABI, M&AMI
Founder/Broker
SERVING BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE GREATER 48 STATES
Highest Credentialed & Most Awarded Business Brokerage Firm in Southwest Florida Since 2014
Our Credentials + Experience =
Results
Our Services
How We Can Help You
Edison Business Advisors' proven process for properly preparing a business for sale, maximizing marketing exposure, and expertise in guiding the sale to completion has resulted in a significantly higher percentage of their listings closing than the industry average.
Sell A Business
Edison Business Advisors helps business owners successfully transfer their business by properly preparing it for sale, marketing it confidentially, and guiding them through the process. Our proven process, methods, and tools have produced a significantly higher percentage of successful sales than the industry average.
Buy A Business
Edison Business Advisors assists business buyers by successfully identifying and acquiring a business by matching their financial strength and business acumen to the appropriate business. Register as a buyer prospect to receive our weekly email of new listings.
Value A Business
Edison Business Advisors helps business owners understand the value of their business to support their needs. Whether they want to sell to a third party, a partner, a key employee, or family member; gift the business to charity; or liquidate, we provide a data-driven analysis of their business value. Business owners can request a valuation opinion, certified business appraisal, or equipment appraisal.
Plan Your Exit
Not all business owners are ready to sell. A Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) assists business owners who want to sell but whose business has not met or exceeded a valuation target the business owner needs to exit comfortably and they do not have a system in place to maximize their business's value. CEPAs help create a plan the business owner can follow to achieve a result that meets their post-exit needs. A significant part of that plan is exploring all options a business owner may have. Take the opportunity to schedule a no obligation, no fee call with a CEPA.
Our Success
Why Choose Edison Business Advisors
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Completed Transactions
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Transactions Worth
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Awards
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Years of Combined Business ExperienceAwards
We are the most awarded business brokerage in Southwest Florida since 2014! Here are our awards from just the past four years.
2022 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Dealmaker Award Top 50 Sales Volume (2)
2022 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Million Dollar Plus Award (5)
2022 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Chairman's Circle Award (3)
2022 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Outstanding Producer Award
2022 M&A Source Executive Club Award (2)
2021 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) #1 Top Producer State of Florida Award
2021 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Dealmaker Award (won 2)
2021 M&A Source Platinum Club Award
2021 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Platinum Chairman's Circle Award
2021 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Chairman's Circle Award
2021 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Deal Maker Award
2020 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) #1 Top Dollar Producer Southwest Florida Award
2020 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Deal Maker Award Top 50 Sales Volume
2020 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Million Dollar Plus Award (3)
2020 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Platinum Chairman's Circle Award
2020 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Outstanding Producer Award
2020 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Deal Maker Award
2020 M&A Source Executive Club Award
2019 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Dealmaker Award Top 50 Sales Volume
2019 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Million Dollar Plus Award
2019 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Chairman's Circle Award
2019 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Deal Maker Award
Credentials
We are the highest credentialed business brokerage in Southwest Florida since 2014!
Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designations from the International Business Brokers Association (3)
Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional (CM&AP) designations from M&A Source. We are the only business brokerage in Southwest Florida staffed with six CM&APs.
Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI) designation from M&A Source We are the only business brokerage in Southwest Florida staffed with two M&AMIs.
Accredited Business Intermediary (ABI) designation from the American Business Brokers Association
Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) designation from the National Association of Certified Valuators & Analysts
Certified Business Appraiser (CBA) designation from the National Association of Certified Valuators & Analysts “Recognized as an Industry Expert by Business Brokerage Press”
Certified Business Broker (CBB) designation from the Accredited Certification Institute
Five team members hold MBA degrees from the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, University of Iowa, Concordia University, and Wayne State Universtity. Three team members hold master's or undergraduate degrees from Indiana university, Rutgers University, and Drake University
Licensed to transact real estate in Florida
Trained Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) from the Exit Planning Institute
Trained Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA) from the National Equipment & Business Builders Institute
Trained Senior Business Analyst from the Society of Business Analysts
Trained Certified Divorce Financial Analyst from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts
Certified Florida Notary Public
The CBI requires meeting stringent education and performance requirements as well as the high ethical standards of the IBBA. The CM&AP requires achieving in-depth knowledge of the specialized approach required to successfully prepare and execute lower-middle-market transactions (above $1M in EBITDA). The M&AMI requires meeting education requirements, attending two M&A Source conferences, completing three transactions over $1.5M, and recertification every three years.
Experience
We have walked in both buyer’s and seller’s shoes!
Personally owned, bought, and/or sold automotive, transportation, logistics, IT, veterinary, retail, e-commerce, marine, business intelligence, medical staffing, medical clinics, business brokerage, and real estate development businesses.
Participated in many forms of business transactions including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spinouts, and roll-ups totaling over $325M for clients, ourselves, and past employers.
Prior to focusing on main street and lower-middle-market clients, we worked in Corporate M&A at Ford Motor Company; as Executive General Manager for GE’s Global Business Services; as Valuation Analyst at RSM McGladrey, and Manager/Senior Valuation Analyst at predecessors to Clifton-Larson-Allen; as Vice President of Relationship Management, Sales, and Investor Relations Support at Deutsche Bank; as Business Development Officer at US Bank; as Estate Manager/Operations at an overseas family office; as Series 7 Stockbroker; as Tax Accountant; as Local Elected Official; as Administrative and Clinical Director positions at UnityPoint Health; and as Adjunct Faculty for undergrad and graduate-level college business courses.
Have over 225 years of combined business experience.
Remain highly involved in our profession as members of IBBA, M&A Source, BBF, NACVA and NAA. Our broker, Eric Gall, is President of the BBF Southwest Florida Region, the leader of the American Business Brokers Association's (ABBA) National Best Practices Forum, and serves on the M&A Source Deal Market Committee.
Learn More
Videos
When Is the Right Time to Sell My Business?
How Much Is My Business Worth?
About Us
EDISON BUSINESS ADVISORS' PROCESS
Not all business owners are ready to sell. Edison Business Advisors assists business owners who want to sell but their business has not met or exceeded a valuation the business owner needs to exit comfortably and they do not have a system in place to maximize the business's value. We do this by introducing our clients to a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Edison Business Advisors, the CEPA, and our client work together to create a plan to grow the business to a value to achieve post-exit needs and a strategy to select the best exit method.
After the initial meeting with a sepa, the next step is to obtain a realistic, market-based business valuation. Edison Business Advisors prepares a detailed market-based business valuation to help understand the value drivers and opportunities in the business. The CEPA uses this valuation to work with the client to create a detailed plan to achieve post-exit needs. they also help determine the best exit method, whether it be to sell to a 3rd party, partner, key employee, or family member, gift the business to charity, or liquidate.
When the business valuation meets or exceeds the client's post-exit needs, and the best exit method is either a sale to a third party, partner, key employee, or family member, Edison Business Advisors helps the client successfully transfer their business by properly preparing it for sale, maintaining confidentiality while marketing and or transferring it, and guiding them through the process. Our proven processes, methods, and tools have produced a significantly higher percentage of successful sales than the industry average.
Meet Eric J. Gall
Eric Gall is the registered broker and founder of Edison Business Advisors. Over the past 25 years, he has participated in many forms of business transactions approaching $300M. Eric has the results, credentials, and experience to sell your business or assist you in buying a business.
His total volume sold earned him the 2022 Business Brokers of Florida (BBF) Dealmaker Award for being in the top 50 in sales volume in Florida. In addition, he won the 2022 International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Chairman’s Circle Award and the 2022 M&A Source Executive Club Award.
His total volume sold in 2021 earned him the BBF #1 Top Dollar Producer for the State of Florida placing him first among 853 BBF intermediaries. He also received the 2021 BBF Dealmaker Award. In addition, he won the 2021 IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award and the 2021 IBBA Deal Maker Award for completing 10 or more transactions. He also won the 2021 M&A Source Platinum Club Award, which is M&A Source’s highest award.
Eric is highly credentialed having obtained his Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA); Certified Merger and Acquisition Professional (CM&AP) and Merger and Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI) from M&A Source; and Accredited Business Intermediary (ABI) from the American Business Brokers Association (ABBA). Eric completed all available CBI-D (Dental) training through the IBBA and will be among the first certified in this specialized field. Eric was the first to obtain a CM&AP and M&AMI, and the second to obtain a CBI in Southwest Florida. He is the only ABI in Southwest Florida. Eric holds BSE and MBA degrees from the University of Michigan.
How Eric got started
Prior to founding Edison Business Advisors, Eric spent six years as Regional Vice President for Florida Business Exchange (business brokerage); three years as President of a private equity group where he bought, sold, and operated several businesses in the IT, automotive, and transportation sectors; and 17 years at Ford Motor Company where he worked in corporate M&A, led the post-merger integration efforts for Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, and Mazda, and helped establish an Asia-Pacific product development group. Eric was recognized as a corporate expert in multicultural negotiation.
Eric is an active member of BBF, IBBA, and M&A Source. He is the American Business Brokers Association (ABBA) Best Practices Forum Leader, President of the BBF Southwest Florida Region, and serves on the M&A Source Deal Market Committee.
By investing time and money in education, certifications, and best practices, Eric has achieved a tremendous return for Edison Business Advisors' clients who have successfully transacted businesses at a significantly higher rate than the industry average.
Eric enjoys playing in adult baseball leagues and tournaments.
Testimonials
What Our Clients Say
“I have chosen to work with Edison Business Advisors many times in the past and continue to do so now. Eric has been recognized by his peers and his industry as being one of the top professionals out there. Eric is not a real estate agent who is dabbling in the business brokerage space, he is an expert who has taken leadership positions in his industry and has continued to obtain experience and credentials that set him apart from his peers. It is because Eric has proven himself to me over the past 8+ years that I have no reservation in bringing him into a business sale or acquisition conversation with clients and friends of our firm.”
Keith Veres
Principal, HBK CPAs & Consultants
"Eric, I want to thank you for sending over the information on Ready-Cap. We were able to secure our PPP loan for our non-profit public charter school, all of which will be forgiven. We've kept and paid 100% of our staff, including hourly childcare and food service workers. This is huge for our school community. Despite getting our bank's application in on the very first day, they did not secure a loan for us. Thanks again on behalf of Treasure Coast Classical Academy."
Erika Donalds
Owner, Treasure Coast Classical Academy
“My husband and his business partner have recently purchased two businesses with the help and guidance of Eric Gall at Edison Business Advisors. Eric was professional and extremely knowledgeable as they were evaluating the businesses. Eric provided them with the opportunity to view over a dozen businesses before they closed on their existing businesses. They are unbelievably pleased with Eric and his professionalism. Eric is by far the best business advisor we’ve ever used, and we have purchased five businesses previously! We value Eric as a resource as we continue to grow.”
Al Cravener and Gary & Debbie Kime
Owners, Estero Glass, Distinctive Glass, ASG, and Shower Glass City
“Eric goes above and beyond for his clients and handles transactions with extreme professionalism. His sellers are well organized and prepared. Information is disclosed, discussed, and agreed upon prior to closing - eliminating the risk of disputes or disagreements after a contract is signed. His buyers are happy with the business they purchase because he discusses the important aspects of the transaction and the business itself. Eric makes sure the buyer/seller has a full review of the business being purchased or sold. He has extensive knowledge, which is reflected in how he handles a business sale and/or purchase. As a closing attorney, I welcome and enjoy every transaction with Eric because I know the parties will be well prepared and ready to close.”