The enterprise value specialists at Ceibass help lawn and landscape business owners buy and sell their businesses. Very often, a buy or sell opportunity is not how the process begins and the relationship can start years and years ahead of the sale.
“The very first step in the process of selling a landscape contractor’s business is getting to know the owner,” said Tom Fochtman, Ceibass CEO. “What are their reasons for selling? What do they want to get out of the business? Why are they selling? Establishing the true owner’s objectives often takes time and counsel.”
The team at Ceibass went on to explain that most business owners are seeking to maximize profit and minimize taxes. in addition to economic or financial reasons other owners may have a legacy calling or want to pass along the business to family members. And others may want to sell because they are bored, fatigued, and burned-out.”
“The daily grind can be a stressor and wear down owners,” added Tom. “And some owners sell because they are no longer challenged or don’t like headaches of running operations. Yes, we need to know what the owner is looking for in financial terms, but we’re also looking to uncover their other human, organic and social needs to make the sale as successful as possible. This includes a first look into ‘what’s next’ for the owners. We want to help them develop more clarity about the future they are trying to produce.”
Stay tuned for upcoming blogs on the next steps in the exit planning process including a look into What’s Next and Assessing the current value and marketability of the business.
