The Buyers Are Already Circling. Are You Ready?
By Rod Johnston, CEO & Founder
We’re having this conversation more and more right now: an owner isn’t actively selling, but private equity is already knocking, and the offers on the table look different than they did even a year ago.
Here’s why. PE firms are pushing further downstream, chasing founder-led businesses in trades and professional services with real appetite. HVAC deals are commanding 7 to 10 times EBITDA for larger, recurring-revenue shops. Plumbing businesses with over $2 million in EBITDA and a healthy residential base are pulling 6 to 11 times. Commercial services just posted one of the largest jumps in deal volume of any sector this year.
Price alone doesn’t close the deal anymore
That’s the part most owners miss. Buyers at this level aren’t won over by a number. They’re doing real diligence on your systems, your team, your recurring revenue, and whether the business runs without you standing in the middle of it. Interest from a buyer means nothing if your books can’t back up your story.
So, if you’re an owner in this position, whether you’re actively looking to exit or just keeping an eye on the market, the move is the same: pull your trailing twelve months and ask honestly whether a stranger could read them and understand your business. Clean, defensible numbers are the single biggest lever you control before anyone sits across the table from you.
And if you don’t know where your business would land in that 3x to 11x range, that’s worth finding out now, not the day someone hands you an offer you can’t properly evaluate.
We’d be glad to walk you through it. Reach out for a free, no-obligation business valuation, and let’s find out what your business is actually worth in this market.
Rod Johnston, CEO & Founder
High Mark Exit Advisors