1. Why sell now
Buyer demand for cash-flowing service businesses is at a multi-year high. SBA 7(a) financing remains the dominant path under $5M, search funds and private equity roll-ups are aggressively bidding on HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping operators, and Baby Boomer retirements have created a deep pool of motivated acquirers. Selling privately — without a public listing — lets you capture that demand without disrupting staff, customers, or competitors.
2. Protect your privacy
The single biggest mistake sellers make is going public too early. A leak to a competitor, your top technician, or a key commercial account can shave 10–20% off your sale price overnight. Treat the sale like a confidential project from day one:
- Never publicly list the business name, address, or top customer logos
- Use a blind teaser: revenue band, SDE band, metro area, trade only
- Require a signed NDA before sharing financials or staff details
- Inform only the 1–2 people who must know (CFO, spouse, attorney)
- Funnel all buyer inquiries through a concierge — not your direct line
3. Build an SDE-based valuation
Most owner-operated service businesses trade on Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE), typically at 2.5x–4x. Larger, professionally-managed operations trade on EBITDA at 4x–6x. A defensible SDE worksheet starts with net income and adds back legitimate owner expenses — not aspirational growth.
Owner compensation
Add back your full W-2 salary, payroll taxes, and benefits — a new owner will set their own comp.
Personal vehicles & travel
Trucks, fuel, insurance, and travel run through the business that aren't required to operate it.
One-time professional fees
Legal, accounting, or consulting spend that won't recur post-sale.
Non-operating expenses
Family member payroll, charitable donations, personal phone, home-office allocations.
Premium & discount drivers
Recurring maintenance contracts, commercial mix, and a working second-in-command push your multiple up. Customer concentration over 15%, heavy owner-dependence, or unreconciled cash deposits push it down. Model both before you talk to buyers.
4. Package the business
A serious buyer wants three documents before they'll move: a blind teaser, a clean 3-year P&L reconciled to tax returns, and a confidential information memorandum (CIM) that covers operations, team, customers (anonymized), and growth levers. The cleaner your package, the faster buyers move from interest to LOI.
5. Screen buyers before you take the call
Unscreened buyer calls are how privacy leaks happen. Our 150-person concierge team qualifies every buyer against your criteria before you ever speak — capital, experience, timeline, and a written buy-box. Sellers receive a packaged buyer snapshot, not a flood of inbound DMs.
- Proof of funds or pre-qualified SBA letter (10% buyer equity minimum)
- Operating experience in trades, ops, or general management
- Written buy-box matching your business size, geo, and trade
- Clear timeline — buyers 'still figuring it out' tend to stall LOIs
- Signed NDA and concierge-verified buyer snapshot before any call
6. Negotiate the LOI
The Letter of Intent sets the deal. Beyond price, focus on: cash at close vs. seller note, earn-out structure (avoid if you can), working-capital peg, non-compete radius, and the exclusivity window. A 10% seller note on reasonable terms often unlocks SBA approval and a higher headline price — a fair trade for most sellers.
7. Close & transition
Plan for a 30–90 day transition: introduce the buyer to key techs and commercial accounts, transfer licenses and vehicle titles, assign the lease, and document SOPs. A clean transition protects your seller note and your reputation in the industry.
Ready to list privately and meet vetted buyers?
Tell us about your business in confidence. Our concierge team will build a blind teaser, match you with pre-qualified buyers from our member pool, and package buyer snapshots for you — no public listing, no cold inbound.
Every seller engagement is confidential. We only contact buyers who match your written criteria.