I'm selling my window cleaning round in south Manchester. Solid customer base, all within a 3-mile radius. Been running it for 8 years, turning over about £45k. I've had a couple of enquiries but they're all from London or Birmingham. Is it realistic that someone from outside the area would actually buy this? Seems like half the value is knowing the streets and having the local trust. Would love to hear from anyone who's sold to an out-of-towner or bought one from afar.
Local Buyers
Would a buyer from outside Manchester be interested in a local service business?
Honestly? Depends if you're selling the business or selling yourself. If the customers are loyal to you, an outsider will struggle. If they're loyal to thw service, maybe. But window cleaning is about as local as it gets. I'd be surprised.
Why would someone from London buy a window cleaning round in Manchester? Unless they're moving up here anyway. Have you asked them?
Good point. One of them said he's relocating for family reasons. The other just seemed to be collecting businesses like Pokemon cards. Not sure which is better.
I sold a landscaping business to a buyer from Leeds last last year. He hired a local manager for the first six months. Worked out fine. But window cleaning is different – no staff, no real assets apart from the van and the customer list. It's a tougher sell.
So basically you're selling a list of names And a ladder?
Harsh but not wrong. The value is in recurring revenue. If those customers stick around after the sale, it's worth something. If they don't, it's worth nothing.
Fair enough. I've got 12 months of repeat business on record, and most customers pay by direct debit. I just don't want to waste time with tyre-kickers from 200 miles away who think they can run it remotely.
Remote window cleaning. That's a new new one. What's he going to do, send a drone?
You'd be surprised. Some buyers are serial acquirers who put a local operator in place. But for a £45k turnover window round, that's probably overkill. More likely he's an individual who wants a job. If he's moving to Manchester, that's fine. If not, he'll probably bail once he realises he has to knock on doors.
I've bought two small service businesses from outside my area. Both times I underestimated how much of it was the previous owner's personality. Customers don't Care about the new guy for at least six months. You have to earn it.
If you're serious about selling, ask them why they want it. If the answer is just 'passive income', run a mile. If they have a plan, maybe worth a chat.
Thanks both. I'll ask a few more questions before I share the customer list. Appreciate the reality check.