Hi there,
I’ve been doing Window Cleaning for the last 2 years and I’m looking to sell my business as I’m relocating. my question is how do price my used equipment? and how much should i charge for a client list? No storefronts or routes. Just residential.
Thanks
1/3 price of what you paid for equipment. Client list doesn’t mean much without a contract with customers. Or you could agree to spend the time to introduce the new owner to everyone, which might help sell the list. I would never buy one myself.
That’s a short time, how many customers? The equipment has value.
but it’s really hard to see value in non-contract customers because they have a relationship with you, they CHOOSE to call you each year, so how can you guarantee they will like the new guy as much or jump ship to another company?
I don’t see a good reason to buy customer lists, unless I am fairly certain they’ll pay significantly more than the people that already fill the calendar. How can that be guaranteed to a buyer?
You need to be in business for a lot longer than two years for it to be worth anything.
I’m with ya for theost part, however, there are factors that may alter results.
For example, if you can prove you have repeat customers on a yearly basis for multiple years, it’s likely these same individuals will book if contacted with the email they’re used to being contacted with.
Namely, if you sell a marked vehicle, website, email address and phone line along with the business, this helps mitigate some of the issues mentioned.
Additionally, if your business has employees, knowing/liking you will likely have a de minimis impact on their booking with your company after coming under new ownership; it’s possible they won’t even know a change in ownership has happened.
Understandably, if you’re an owner/operator situation, or a bucket bob spending a lot of face time with a homeowner, that may be a more difficult sell. Even then though, unless you’re personally calling every client or staying for cookies after every job, it’s possible you’ll fade into the background of just another business these folks use to care for their property. Culligan man, garbage man, pool man, lawn guy, mail man, etc.
They get the reminder email, book, pay, done.
If the company is primarily business/commercial, I can’t see it having any effect. It’s work contracted business to business.
Just some extra thoughts 
Your potential buyer may be more interested in how you’ve spent the past two years growing the business. In broad terms, the organic value. Do you have a bank account and a credit card under the business name? What is the company’s borrowing power. A potential buyer may be more interested in the ability to borrow against your company to expand.
A client list is nice and I agree with others. If you are available to do a warm hand off that makes sense. Otherwise the buyer is an unfamiliar face with no name…
Are you registered legally in your state as a business? FEIN and and all that? When you say equipment, do you mean company items with logos? Are you also making the logistics of your business part of the purchase?
One example of something that make for Higher value… do you have the Starbucks contract for your area? Can you show your profit and loss statement in light of these recurring accounts?
