Selling your trade business in the next 3‑5 years?
We help trade business owners understand what buyers are actually looking for and how to prepare their business for a smooth sale process.
Free Download: The Trade Business Owner’s Guide to Selling in 3‑5 Years
More than half of trade-business owners plan to exit within five years, but fewer than one in five have started getting ready. This free guide shows you the five things a buyer’s due diligence will test, so you can fix them while you still have time.
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How We Prepare Your Business for Sale
Here’s how we work with owners over the three to five years before a sale.
3 to 5 years out
Find out where you stand
We start with a one-on-one conversation about your business, your goals and your timeline.
- Review of your foundational documents, ownership and key people
- Your options: an outside sale, a key-employee buyout or a family transition
- A review of your estate plan so it matches your exit plan
1 to 3 years out
Fix what buyers will test
We put in writing what a buyer’s due diligence will ask to see.
- Operating, shareholder and partnership agreements, including buy-sell provisions
- Customer contracts with payment terms and a change-order process
- Employment and independent contractor agreements
The sale
Structure, negotiate and close
When a buyer is at the table, we represent you through the transaction.
- Choosing an asset sale or a sale of your membership interest or stock
- Drafting or reviewing the purchase agreement
- Due diligence requests and closing documents
Stuart Wolk
Ready to Start Planning Your Sale?
Call us for your no-obligation consultation to discuss your exact legal needs. In your consultation, we will outline the best course of action and provide a basic quote for the recommended services.
Having easy access to a local business attorney will give you the confidence, support, and partnership you need to manage your business.
Not ready for a consultation call? Start with our free guide.
Buyers of trade businesses, such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC and general contracting companies, want a turn-key operation they can step into and run immediately, not one that depends on the current owner personally. Getting to that point takes three to five years of deliberate work, not a few weeks before you try to sell your business. This guide walks through exactly what that work looks like, in plain language, so you know where your business stands today and what to fix first.
- Know what your business is actually worth. Why a valuation done years early changes your negotiating position, not just your closing-day number.
- Make your customer contracts buyer-proof. How to get revenue off handshake deals and onto paper a buyer can trust.
- Put your ownership and governance in writing. The documents a buyer’s attorney will ask for first, and what happens when they don’t exist.
- Build a team that can run without you. Why owner-dependent businesses get discounted, and what buyers want to see instead.
- Create a succession plan before you need one. How to keep your options open instead of being forced into whatever’s available when you need to move.
Each section ends with a short list of questions to ask about your own business. No legal background is required.
This guide is for you if…
- You own a trade or contracting business (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, general contracting and similar).
- You’re thinking about selling within the next three to five years, whether that’s a firm plan or just something you’re starting to consider.
- You’re not sure whether your business would hold up to a buyer’s due diligence today.
- You want to know what to fix now, while you still have time to fix it, not find out during a sale.
Disclaimer: Attorney Advertising. The information presented at this site is designed for general information only and is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.