A Clearer Path to a Clean Exit.

We help owners of residential cleaning, commercial cleaning, and restoration service businesses understand what their company is worth, prepare it for the market, and navigate a confidential sale.

Our work can include valuation, exit planning, buyer marketing, screening, introductions, negotiation support, lender coordination, due diligence organization, and assistance through closing.

Owners can begin with our Valuation & Exit Plan or engage us for our Full-Service Sale Program.

The valuation service is ideal if you want to know what your business is worth or are not yet ready to sell. The full-service program is designed for owners who want help preparing, marketing, and completing a sale.

No. In fact, the best time to start planning is often one to three years before a sale. Starting early gives you time to improve profitability, reduce owner dependence, organize records, strengthen the management team, and address issues that could affect value.

We focus on independently owned and franchised residential cleaning, commercial cleaning, janitorial, and restoration service businesses. This specialization helps us understand recurring revenue, customer concentration, labor challenges, route density, owner involvement, and the operating systems buyers and lenders examine.

Value: Understand the business and establish a realistic value range.

Prepare: Organize the financials, identify risks, and build the marketing and due diligence materials.

Market: Confidentially reach qualified strategic and individual buyers.

Qualify: Screen prospects for financial capacity, experience, and fit.

Negotiate: Compare offers and help structure terms that support your goals.

Close: Coordinate the buyer, attorneys, lenders, and other parties through due diligence and closing.

• A professional written valuation report
• A review of normalized earnings and owner adjustments
• Relevant market multiples and comparable transaction data
• A realistic estimated value range
• A live Zoom meeting to review the results
• Recommendations that may improve value and sale readiness

Our Valuation & Exit Plan is $995. Before beginning, we confirm the documents needed, the scope of the work, and the expected delivery timing so you know exactly what is included.

Most small and lower-middle-market cleaning businesses are valued primarily using a multiple of adjusted cash flow, commonly called Seller’s Discretionary Earnings or EBITDA. We normalize the financials by reviewing owner compensation, discretionary expenses, unusual items, and expenses a buyer may not continue.

We then consider market multiples, revenue quality, customer concentration, recurring contracts, growth trends, management depth, equipment, territory, brand strength, and the owner’s day-to-day involvement.

We typically request three years of business tax returns, year-to-date and prior-year profit-and-loss statements, a current balance sheet, a payroll summary, a list of potential owner add-backs, revenue by customer or service type, and an equipment or vehicle list. We will help you identify what is relevant and explain any missing information.

It is a professional estimate of market value intended for planning and a potential sale. It is not a certified appraisal for litigation, tax reporting, or another regulated purpose. If a certified appraisal is needed, we can help identify the appropriate specialist.

We will explain what is driving the result and identify practical ways to improve it. Sometimes that means increasing profitability, reducing customer concentration, documenting recurring revenue, building a management layer, or allowing additional time for stronger financial results to appear in the records.

We help organize the financial story, clearly explain owner add-backs, identify potential buyer concerns, collect key operating information, and create a professional confidential marketing package. We also help prepare a secure due diligence folder so important documents are ready when a qualified buyer moves forward.

No, but clean and supportable records make a business easier to finance and usually easier to sell. We will help identify gaps and prioritize the items most likely to matter to buyers and lenders. Material financial information and owner adjustments must be accurate and supportable.

Usually not at the beginning. Premature disclosure can create unnecessary uncertainty. We work with you and your attorney to develop a communication plan for employees, customers, and vendors at the appropriate stage of the transaction.

Yes—and you should. Buyers and lenders pay close attention to recent performance. Maintaining sales, staffing, service quality, and profitability helps protect value and keeps the business attractive throughout the process.

We handle much of the preparation, marketing, initial buyer communication, and coordination. You will still need to provide documents, answer important questions, meet qualified buyers, review offers, and work with your legal and tax advisors. Our goal is to keep the process organized so you can continue operating the business.

We market the opportunity without publicly identifying the company. Prospective buyers are screened and generally sign a confidentiality agreement before receiving identifying or sensitive information. Information is released in stages based on the buyer’s seriousness and progress.

Depending on the business, we may use our buyer network, industry and franchise relationships, business-for-sale platforms, direct outreach, lenders, referral partners, and targeted digital marketing. The strategy is tailored to the size, location, service mix, and likely buyer profile for your company.

We evaluate financial capacity, available funds, financing plans, relevant experience, motivation, timing, and fit with the business. Franchise buyers may also need to satisfy the franchisor’s approval requirements. Qualification reduces distractions, but it is not a guarantee that a buyer or lender will complete the transaction.

No. We generally provide information in stages. A qualified buyer may first receive a confidential overview and summarized financial information. More detailed records are usually provided after the buyer demonstrates serious interest and, when appropriate, submits an offer or letter of intent.

Yes. Many transactions involve SBA or conventional financing. We can introduce buyers to experienced lenders and help coordinate the information lenders request. Final underwriting and loan approval remain the responsibility of the buyer and lender.

A franchise resale normally requires franchisor approval, transfer documents, training, and payment of any applicable transfer fees. The franchise agreement, territory rights, required upgrades, and the buyer’s qualifications can all affect timing. We help coordinate with the franchisor while the buyer completes the approval process.

Every business is different. Pricing, profitability, records, location, owner involvement, financing, and buyer demand all influence timing. Once a qualified buyer is under a letter of intent, due diligence, financing, legal documents, and third-party approvals commonly require several additional months. We will give you a realistic expectation based on your specific business.

No. You decide whether to accept, reject, or counter any offer. We help you evaluate price, cash at closing, financing, seller-note exposure, contingencies, working capital, transition obligations, and the likelihood that the buyer can actually close.

Not necessarily. A slightly lower offer with stronger financing, fewer contingencies, more cash at closing, and a well-qualified buyer may create a better and more dependable outcome. We help compare both the economics and the execution risk of each proposal.

Not always. Some buyers and lenders request a seller note to support the transaction or satisfy financing requirements. Any seller financing is negotiable, and the note’s interest rate, payment schedule, security, guarantees, subordination, and default remedies should be reviewed carefully with your attorney and financial advisor.

The buyer verifies financial, operational, legal, employee, customer, equipment, insurance, tax, and other information about the business. Lenders, attorneys, accountants, landlords, and franchisors may also conduct their own reviews. We help organize requests, track open items, and keep the process moving.

The buyer’s or seller’s attorney typically prepares or reviews the letter of intent, purchase agreement, noncompete, seller note, bill of sale, assignments, and closing documents. Clean Exit supports the business negotiations and coordination but does not provide legal or tax advice. We strongly recommend that each party use qualified advisors.

Most agreements include a defined transition period to introduce the buyer to employees, customers, vendors, systems, and daily operations. The length and scope are negotiated in advance. Any longer-term consulting or employment arrangement should be documented separately and clearly state compensation and responsibilities.

Our standard success fee is 8% of the transaction value, as defined in the engagement agreement. Before you sign, we explain how the fee is calculated, when it is earned, and how unusual deal structures—such as seller financing, earnouts, or retained assets—are treated.

The success fee is generally earned and payable when a transaction closes with a buyer covered by the engagement agreement. The exact trigger, calculation, and payment terms are stated in the agreement you review before we begin.

Our standard program is designed to be non-exclusive and month-to-month. The written engagement agreement controls, so we review the termination terms, buyer protections, post-termination period, and any exceptions with you before signing.

Tell us before signing the engagement agreement. We can discuss whether that person should be excluded, whether you want us to help manage the transaction, and what fee—if any—would apply. Any exception should be listed in writing so there is no confusion later.

No advisor can honestly guarantee a sale, a specific price, or a closing date. We can provide a professional process, realistic positioning, confidential marketing, buyer screening, and experienced support. The final outcome depends on the business, market conditions, buyer demand, financing, due diligence, and the terms you are willing to accept.