How do I show my snow removal route maps and client sites to a buyer?

A route map is more than a picture. Make one for each route, showing the order of stops, the type of site, the equipment needed and the time a normal visit takes. Add a table that links each site to its contract, the pricing basis and the payment record. A buyer can then judge how efficiently the routes are run.

Be thoughtful about what you reveal and when. Client names and addresses are sensitive, and competitors would love them. In the first round, show routes with sites coded by number, and describe the types of clients, such as plazas, condominiums or industrial lots. A confidential information memorandum can hold this summary. Share the detail once the buyer is serious and bound by a confidentiality agreement.

Also bring the less obvious matters into view: the contracts that are due to renew, the sites you subcontract, any hard-to-reach locations and the storage places for salt and equipment. Ask your lawyer how client contracts can be passed on, and ask your accountant to tie each route to revenue so the maps and the statements agree. Offer a drive-along of one route in a real storm if you can, because that shows more than any map.

Key takeaways

• Build a map for each route and link every site to its contract and payment record.
• Code client sites by number in the first round and reveal details only under a confidentiality agreement.
• Flag upcoming renewals, subcontracted sites and storage locations.