How do I choose between selling to my crew and an outside buyer for my moving firm?

Start by writing down your priorities: a clean exit, protecting your staff, keeping the company name, or getting paid quickly. Each one favours a different route, and being honest about the order helps you avoid regrets.

With a crew sale, ask whether anyone has the leadership and sales skills to run the company, not just the moving skills. Estimating, customer service and equipment upkeep are all part of the job. Crew members usually lack capital, so expect a conversation about payments over time or help from a lender. That can leave you exposed after the sale, so ask your lawyer how to protect yourself.

An outside buyer may bring money and fresh energy, but they will want to inspect the business, meet your customers and perhaps ask you to stay for a transition. Ask how they would treat the crew. Staff who leave can hurt the company before the buyer learns it. Compare how each route handles the trucks, the customer list and the partners or agents you rely on. Your accountant can compare the tax effects of each, and a broker or adviser can help test the outside market. Think too about how customers and long-serving drivers will react to either announcement.

Key takeaways

• Rank your priorities first, because each route serves different ones.
• Ask whether any crew member can run sales and customer service, not only the moves.
• Compare how each route protects you if payments are spread over time.