How do I show a buyer my print shop’s customer retention and repeat orders?
Export your invoices by customer over several years and sort them into repeat accounts, occasional buyers and one-off jobs. Show which customers reorder the same product on a schedule. Be ready to explain any large account that left and what you did about it.
Repeat work is the strongest sign that a print shop is more than a lucky run of jobs. Start by grouping orders by customer, then by product type. Business cards, menus, packaging and signage behave differently, and a buyer will ask which categories bring people back.
Next, tell the story behind the numbers. If a regular customer reorders every season, show the pattern and who handles that relationship. If a big account left, say why. Buyers tend to trust a seller who explains a loss plainly more than one who tries to hide it.
Finally, check that your records are consistent. Invoices, job tickets and customer names should match, and duplicate customer entries should be merged. Be careful what you hand over early: give a summary first and keep named customer details until the buyer has signed a confidentiality agreement. Ask your lawyer how to handle that step. If you serve a few large customers, say so openly and explain how the relationships work. A buyer will want to know whether those customers are tied to you personally, and whether a handover would be welcome to them. Put the grouped figures in one tidy summary, so a buyer can follow the story without searching through your invoices.
Key takeaways
- Group invoices by customer and by product type to show who reorders.
- Explain lost accounts plainly instead of leaving gaps.
- Share summaries first and customer names only after a confidentiality agreement.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Selling
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer my fabrication shop’s repeat industrial customers?
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer that my exhaust shop’s custom work brings repeat customers?
- Expert answerWhat should I say to print shop customers who place standing orders?
- Expert answerHow do I explain my window shop’s repeat builder and renovator customers to a buyer?
- Expert answerHow do I hand over my bike shop’s special-order and layaway customers?
- Expert answerHow do I prepare my print shop’s job tickets and customer proofs for a buyer?
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer my fulfilment centre’s order accuracy records?
- Expert answerHow do I explain my packaging shop’s rush-order practices to a buyer?
Buying
- Expert answerHow do I learn which hockey brands drive a pro shop’s repeat customers?
- Expert answerWhat happens to customer dress orders and deposits when a bridal shop is sold?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a butcher shop’s freezer-pack and bulk-order customers?
- Expert answerHow do I judge whether a print shop’s customers would follow it to a new owner?
- Expert answerHow do I tell if a print shop’s customer list is mostly one-time jobs?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a print-on-demand store’s customer personalization requests?
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
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.