SELLING, WITH CLARITY
For water, fire and other property-damage restoration businesses, explain who authorises work, who pays, how scope changes and how the team responds. Separate emergency mitigation, reconstruction and specialist subcontracted services.
Start a confidential conversationWHAT A BUYER NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND
Map assignments from insurers, adjusters, property managers and direct customers. Several referral contacts may still lead to one payer or programme. Collect programme and franchise terms where relevant and flag continuation questions. Historical referrals evidence activity, not a commitment to future assignments.
Show agreed scope, estimates, approved variations, invoicing, collections and disputed balances by job. Distinguish completed work from reconstruction still to perform. Explain deductibles, approvals and documentation gaps without assuming every billed amount is collectible. Buyers need the cash-conversion story as well as booked revenue.
Separate ordinary work from unusually large weather or catastrophe assignments. Review equipment hire, travel, overtime and subcontractor costs. Explain the staffing and mobilisation needed for surge work; an exceptional month is not a reliable annual run rate. Support proposed earnings adjustments with records and professional review.
Document on-call coverage, estimating, project supervision and customer communication. Assemble training, insurance, incident and specialist-subcontractor records for controlled review. Identify unfinished jobs and warranties so the parties can agree responsibility and transition support instead of leaving the seller’s future involvement undefined.
PREPARING FOR A SALE
Use this as a preparation checklist. An initial inquiry only needs your contact details and a brief introduction; keep sensitive records for a later, agreed review.
Explore business valuationFROM PREPARATION TO HANDOVER
Our business-value focus is approximately CAD5–50 million, not an annual revenue threshold. The preparation questions are editorial guidance; they do not establish a valuation, buyer interest or transferable approval.
Begin with a non-sensitive introduction. Keep customer identities, employee information and detailed financial records for a later, agreed review.
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY
Not automatically. Show its revenue and costs separately and explain what was unusual. Advisers can assess sustainable performance from the actual operating history rather than a blanket adjustment.
It can be explored, but open scope, collections, disputes and remaining work must be understood and negotiated. Prepare a job-level schedule early with legal and accounting input.
BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER
Practical reading for owners thinking about what comes next.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE
Start with a confidential conversation about selling your business. A few details are all we need to begin.
A confidential first conversation
Space to explore your options
No commitment to list your business