How do I package my cleaning routes for a buyer?

Think about how a buyer will read your business. They want to know what happens on an ordinary Tuesday night. Build a one-page summary for each route showing the sites, the visit days, the crew size, the supplies used and what the client pays. Keep the same layout for every route so comparing them is easy.

Add the paper behind each summary. Collect signed agreements, any renewal or termination terms, and a short history of how long each client has stayed. If a client has no written agreement, say so plainly rather than hoping nobody asks.

Be honest about who holds the relationships. If you personally handle a client’s complaints or approve their invoices, note it and plan a handover. Introducing a buyer to the crew leads and key clients, with each person’s agreement, shows the routes can run without you. Finally, separate the routes from your own tasks. List equipment, vehicles, keys and codes that belong to the business. Ask your accountant how to present the profit by route, and your lawyer how to treat client agreements that might need consent to transfer. Do a dry run of the questions a buyer will ask. Could someone unfamiliar with the company read your route summaries and explain the business back to you? If not, simplify them. A clean package also shortens the weeks spent on back-and-forth requests.

Key takeaways

• Give every route the same one-page summary.
• Put the paper behind each client in one place.
• Say which relationships depend on you, and plan the handover.