Most owners come in wanting one thing and leave needing another. These are the ways THG works with service business owners, whether you’re two months or five years out.
Full representation from preparation through closing. We run the process, manage the buyers, and negotiate on your behalf — so you keep running your business instead of running a transaction.
A grounded, defensible view of what your business is actually worth in today’s market — not a rule-of-thumb multiple you overheard at a trade show. The starting point for every other decision.
The work that happens 12 to 36 months before a sale is where the largest gains in final value come from. Reducing owner dependence, cleaning up financials, and shoring up the weak spots a buyer will find anyway.
Selling outright isn’t the only option. Minority or majority recapitalizations let you take money off the table now while staying involved — often the right answer for owners who aren’t ready to walk away entirely.
Two businesses with identical sales can be worth very different amounts. These are the factors that move the number most — and several of them are fixable with enough lead time.
If the business can’t run for two weeks without you, a buyer isn’t purchasing a company — they’re purchasing a job. This is the single most common value killer, and the most fixable.
Service agreements, inspection contracts, and maintenance plans are valued very differently than one-off jobs. Contracted revenue is the closest thing to certainty a buyer can get.
If one or two accounts make up a large share of your revenue, a buyer sees risk — because losing that account after closing changes everything about the deal they just paid for.
Clean, defensible financials get better outcomes than strong financials that can’t be verified. Buyers discount what they can’t confirm — and diligence will find everything.
Tenured technicians, a capable second-in-command, and low turnover are real assets. In a labor-tight trade, a buyer is often buying your crew as much as your customer list.
The worst time to sell is when you have to. Owners who plan 12 to 24 months out consistently get better terms than those responding to burnout, health, or an unsolicited offer.
Most are fixable with enough runway — but only if you know which ones apply to you. A short, confidential conversation will tell you where you actually stand.
The first conversations cost nothing and obligate you to nothing. Most owners who reach out aren’t ready to sell yet — and that’s exactly the right time to be talking.
A straightforward call about your business, your timeline, and what you’re hoping to do next. Nothing is shared with anyone. Many owners are simply gathering information for a decision that’s still years away.
A realistic look at how a buyer would actually see your business — the strengths that drive the number up, and the issues that quietly pull it down. For many owners, this alone reshapes what they do over the next year.
Selling outright isn’t the only path. Depending on your goals, a partial sale, an equity rollover, or staying on post-close may fit better. The point is seeing the full menu before choosing from it.
If there’s runway, we use it. Cleaning up financials, reducing owner dependence, and shoring up weak spots ahead of time is where the largest gains in final value usually come from.
When you decide to move, you have someone in your corner who has been through this many times from both sides, negotiating on your behalf against buyers who do this professionally.