How do I show a buyer my fabrication shop’s repeat industrial customers?
Build a customer list that shows each repeat buyer, what they order, how long they have been with you and how the work is awarded. Back it with invoices and contact names. Buyers want proof the relationships belong to the shop, not just to you personally.
Start with the sales records and group them by customer over time. Show who orders regularly, who orders in bursts, and who has dropped off. A buyer will look at concentration, so be ready to explain what share of work comes from your largest customers.
Explain how the work is won. Are there standing orders, supply arrangements, repeat quotes, or trust built through years of good delivery? Write down who at the customer decides, and who at your shop deals with them.
Show proof of quality: on-time delivery, low rework and any customer feedback. If you can, arrange for a buyer to meet the best customers after a confidentiality agreement is in place. Be candid about dependence on you. If key customers deal only with you, say how you plan to introduce the buyer. Your lawyer can help with confidentiality, and your accountant with the sales records. Prepare a short story for each major customer: how you won them, what you make for them, and what could put the relationship at risk. Buyers value honest answers more than polished ones. Ask yourself which customers would stay if you left tomorrow, and which would not. Then plan how to introduce the buyer so that the relationships have a chance to carry across, with you present for the early meetings.
Key takeaways
- Present repeat customers by history, volume and how work is awarded.
- Show proof of quality: delivery, rework and feedback.
- Be candid about which relationships depend on you personally.
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Due diligence
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to minimize negotiations when selling your business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernment7 steps to increase your business’ value—before you sell it
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
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