I've got a small landscaping company that I'm thinking about selling in the next year or two. Nothing huge, just me, two crews, and a solid book of residential clients. When I look at the big brokerage sites, it's all SaaS and medical practices. Where do regular businesses like mine actually get listed and found by buyers? I'm not trying to pay a 10% commission to someone who doesn't understand what a mower costs.
Buying
Where do people go to buy small, everyday businesses?
BizBuySell is the obvious one but it's a zoo. Half the listings are stale, half are franchises. Still, for a service business like yours it's probably where most buyers start. Just be ready for tire-kickers.
Honestly, forr a business that small, you might do better selling to an employee or a competitor than listing it. The brokerage fees eat you alive at that deal size, and buyers on the marketplaces are usually looking for a steal. Have you talked to your crew lead?
I bought a septic pumping business off Craigslist. No joke. Seller was retiring, didn't want to deal with brokers. Worked out fine but I had to do all the diligence myself. Not recommending it for everyone
There are regional business brokers that specialize in main street deals. Look for someone who lists HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, that kind of thing. They exist, they're just not the ones spending on Google ads. Ask your CPA—they usually know who's active in your area.
Also loop in your local SBA lender. They see deals come through constantly and sometimes know sellers before before anything hits the market. Not a listing service but a decent back channel.
The real answer is that small everyday businesses are sold through word of mouth and accountants. The internet is where the leftovers go. Sad but true.
That's a bit cynical. Plenty of good businesses list on BizBuySell because the owner wants maximum exposure. The key is filtering hard and not wasting time on the ones with fuzzy financials.
The CPA angle is interesting—mine actually brought up succession planning last time we talked, which I brushed off. Maybe I shouldn't have. And yeah, the crew lead has been running the day-to-day for three years. Worth a conversation, at least. The Craigslist thing made me laugh but also kind of makes sense for this segment.