How do I show a buyer my feed store’s delivery routes and customer list?
Share a summary first: route maps, stops per run, product mix and frequency, with customer names removed. Release the named customer list and route detail only to a serious buyer who has signed a confidentiality agreement, and do it close to closing.
A buyer wants to see that deliveries are organized and that customers rely on them. Build a clear picture of each route: the days it runs, the number of stops, what is carried, the vehicle used and the driver. Add how much time and fuel each run takes, and which routes are busy and which barely cover themselves. A one-page route summary says more than a stack of delivery slips.
Customer names are another matter. Farmers expect discretion, and competitors would love a copy of your list. In the early talks, describe customers by type and size rather than by name. Once the buyer is serious and has signed a confidentiality agreement drafted by your lawyer, you can release more. Keep a record of what was shared.
Prepare for the questions that follow. Does the store own the delivery vehicles or lease them? Does the driver have a personal bond with the customers? What happens in a storm or a breakdown? Explain how orders are taken and tracked, and show the records that prove it. Your accountant can help present delivery costs and revenue so they tie to the financial statements. Agree on when and how the buyer may contact customers.
Key takeaways
- Start with anonymous route summaries and add detail later.
- Share named customers only after a signed confidentiality agreement.
- Show delivery costs next to delivery revenue.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are financial statements?
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