What do you get when you buy a mobile dog grooming business?
You mostly buy a converted van or trailer, a route of regular clients and the booking list that fills it. Check the vehicle’s equipment and condition, how tightly the service area is packed, whether the client list and accounts move to you, and who will drive and groom once the owner leaves.
A mobile grooming business has no shop to walk through. The van or trailer is the shop, and the owner’s phone is often the front desk. That changes what a sale really contains. Before you agree to anything, list what you would be handed on closing day and what you would have to rebuild, because with mobile work the gap between the two can be wide.
The vehicle is the main asset
Ask to see the water tank, the generator, the tub, the table and the ventilation working. Ask who did the conversion and what repair and service records exist. A vehicle that needs major work is a cost you carry from day one. Have a mechanic look at the vehicle itself, and ask your insurer how it would cover a van used as a workplace.
Routes and service area
Drive time takes up the working day. Ask for a map of where appointments actually happen and how many fit in a day. Find out whether clients follow the owner personally or the business name, and whether any of them have standing arrangements that you would need to honour.
Bookings, accounts and people
Confirm that the booking system, the business phone number, the social accounts and the card-payment account can be moved into your name. Ask who grooms and drives. If the owner does both, your first weeks decide whether clients stay. If the seller will help introduce you, put that in writing with your lawyer.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
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- GuideBuying a pet supply store in Canada
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- Expert answerWill the technicians stay after I buy an auto repair shop?
- Expert answerWhat should I check about the equipment when buying a print shop?
- Expert answerShould I buy a mobile dog grooming business or a grooming salon?
- Expert answerWhat should I check before buying a mall kiosk business?
- Expert answerShould I buy an existing kiosk business or start one?
- Expert answerHow do I find a dog grooming business for sale?
Selling
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 CanadaGovernmentEquipment valuation: How to do it
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentMajor pitfalls to avoid when negotiating a purchase agreement
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