Business & property services
Selling a business or property services company
Commercial painting and decorating, property maintenance, landscaping and other service and contracting businesses. Here the value sits mostly in the clients and the team.
What buyers will ask about
A services business has fewer hard assets than a manufacturer, so buyers focus on whether the clients and the crews will stay after the sale, and whether the work can be run without the owner on every site.
Knowing these questions a year or two ahead gives you time to prepare good answers.
Client relationships
How long your main clients have been with you, whether there are written contracts and how much work comes back each year.
Recurring and seasonal work
The share of revenue from maintenance contracts and repeat work compared with one-off projects, and how the seasons affect cash flow.
Supervisors and crews
Whether there are foremen or managers who can run jobs and look after clients, and how stable the workforce is.
Estimating and job costing
How work is quoted and tracked, so a buyer can see that margins hold up job by job.
Equipment and vehicles
The condition of trucks and equipment, and what will need replacing in the next few years.
Licences, insurance and safety
That permits, insurance and safety records are in order. Buyers and lenders will ask.
Selected transactions in this industry
Commercial services
Custom ICI Painting and Decorating Solutions
Deal value $2,100,000
Sold
A provider of interior and exterior painting and decorating services for industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) clients.
View detailsProperty services
Property Maintenance & Landscaping Company
Deal value $2,100,000
Sold
A full-service property maintenance company providing landscaping, lawn care, seasonal maintenance and snow removal.
View detailsProperty & facility services
HVAC & Specialized Duct Cleaning Services Provider
Published value $1,350,000
Sold
View detailsProperty & facility services
Commercial Grounds Maintenance & Snow Management Company
Published value $999,000
Sold
View detailsFrom a client
More testimonialsKingston screened out unqualified inquiries and introduced only serious prospective buyers, saving me considerable time while I continued operating the company. Their communication was excellent, and they remained professional and reliable throughout the sale process.
Useful reading
Would Your Business Run Without You?
Buyers pay for what a business earns after the owner steps back. Here’s how to see where your business depends on you, and what to do about it.
Not Ready to Sell? Why a Conversation Now Can Still Help
Most owners think about selling for years before they act. An early, confidential conversation gives you time to make better decisions.
Should You Sell Now or Wait Three Years?
Waiting can add value, but it also adds risk. A practical way to weigh the two, and the options that sit in between.
Confidential conversation
Thinking about selling, now or in a few years?
Start with a confidential conversation. You don’t have to be ready to sell. We can help you understand what your business might be worth and what your options are.