How do I prepare my greenhouse’s customer list and wholesale accounts for a buyer?
Build one clean list that shows each account, what it buys, how often, how it pays and who handles the relationship. Separate wholesale growers’ buyers from walk-in retail, and note any account tied to you personally. A buyer wants to see repeat business and receivables that are collected, not just names.
Begin with a single spreadsheet that replaces scattered notes. For every wholesale account, record the contact, what they buy, the seasons they order, how they pay and whether there is any written agreement. Keep retail and landscaper or garden-centre buyers in separate sections so the pattern of each is easy to read.
Next, pull your receivables report and check it before the buyer does. Note which accounts pay on time, which are slow and which have been written off. A buyer reading an aged receivables list will ask about every old balance, so have a short explanation ready for each.
Be honest about who holds the relationship. If most orders come through your own phone calls, say so and describe how you would introduce the buyer. Offer joint visits or a handover period rather than hoping the question never comes up. Last, decide what you share and when. Names and terms are sensitive, so ask your lawyer about a confidentiality agreement before sharing detail, and share the full list only with a serious, qualified buyer.
Key takeaways
- Keep one tidy list: account, products, timing, payment habits and relationship owner.
- Review receivables yourself and explain every slow or written-off balance.
- Share full customer detail only after a confidentiality agreement is in place.
- Offer a handover period so the buyer meets key accounts with you present.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a garden centre’s growers and wholesale plant suppliers?
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Due diligence
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Selling
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernment7 steps to increase your business’ value—before you sell it
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaIndustryHow to sell your business
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