How can I tell if a commercial cleaning firm depends on one building manager’s goodwill?

Begin with a list of clients by revenue and, beside each, the name of the person who decides to keep the cleaner. If the same name shows up repeatedly, or if one property manager looks after several buildings and brought the owner in each time, note that carefully.

Then read the contracts. Check who holds them, how long they last, whether they can be ended on short notice, and whether they pass to a new owner without consent. A relationship that is warm but ends on a month’s notice is a thin base.

Ask the seller how each account was won. Accounts that came through a bid are different from those that came by introduction. Ask what happens when that manager changes employers, and whether it has already happened to the seller. With permission, speak to a few clients, or ask for a transition meeting. Listen for whether they care about the firm or about the owner personally. Consider tying part of the purchase terms to the accounts staying, and ask your lawyer how. Keep notes on every conversation, since patterns across accounts often show up only when you put them side by side.

Key takeaways

• Match each large account to the person who decides on the cleaner.
• Read how contracts end and whether they transfer to a new owner.
• Speak to key clients with consent, and ask a lawyer about tying terms to retention.