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Thinking of Selling Your Plant Service Business? Read This Before You Call the Broker!

  • Writer: One Big Green
    One Big Green
  • Aug 12
  • 4 min read

If you’re running a plant service business, chances are that at some point you’ve thought about the possibility of selling it. Maybe you’re considering it in the near future, or perhaps it’s something that’s still a few years away on your radar.


Either way, preparing your business for a potential acquisition early on is one of the smartest moves you can make - not just to get the best price, but to make sure you’re building something valuable and sustainable, whether you sell or not.



The Real Value Lies in Your Service Contracts


Let’s start with an important truth: the value of a service business, especially in the plant care world, largely comes down to the quality of your service contracts. These contracts are the lifeblood of your business. They represent ongoing revenue streams, relationships with clients, and the stability that any buyer will want to see.


But it’s not just about how many contracts you have or the total revenue they bring in. Smart buyers know better than to take revenue at face value. They want to know how profitable each contract truly is - and that’s where the nuances of unit economics and operational efficiency come in.



Buyers Look Beyond Revenue - To Unit Economics and Efficiency


Imagine you have a contract worth $10,000 a month. Sounds great, right? But if servicing that contract costs you $9,500 due to excess labor hours or disproportionate replacements, your profit margin is razor-thin. For a buyer, that’s a red flag. They’re not interested in your gross revenue - they want to see healthy margins and a business that runs like a well-oiled machine.


Operational inefficiencies, overruns, and uncontrolled expenses erode your business’s value silently but surely. A potential buyer will likely bring in a third-party due diligence partner to audit your operations before closing the deal. If they find cracks, you might face a lower offer - or worse, a deal that falls through entirely.



One Big Green: Your Business Through the Potential Buyer’s Eyes


Here’s the game changer: One Big Green lets you see your business exactly through the eyes of that third-party evaluator - before any potential buyer does.


OBG’s powerful suite of tools gives you deep insight into every aspect of your operation:


  • Operational Calendar & Timesheets: Keep accurate track of work schedules and hours, spotting overruns before they become a problem.


  • Unplanned Activities & Replacements Management: Get control over those pesky last-minute changes and recurring tasks that can throw off budgets.


  • Budget Management Across Sites: Know exactly where your money is going across your portfolio, not just in isolated pockets.


  • Account Knowledge Base: One of OBG’s hidden superpowers is how it helps you create a solid knowledge base for every client account. This includes detailed field notes, actual time spent on each service, and all those quirky little things unique to each service site. This info doesn’t stay trapped in your head - it’s documented, organized, and securely stored.



Why Documenting Your Business Knowledge Multiplies Your Value


Buyers don’t just want contracts; they want a smooth transition. They’ll assess how much work it will take to absorb all the business knowledge from the previous owner. The more institutional knowledge that’s buried in someone’s head, the more they’ll discount the price - because knowledge gaps mean risk and extra work.


By using OBG to document everything, you turn your business knowledge from a fragile, invisible asset into a concrete, transferable resource. This transparency dramatically reduces buyer risk - and that means the value of your business grows exponentially.



Fixing Overruns and Increasing Business Value Over Time


More importantly, OBG doesn’t just point out problems - it helps you fix them. By controlling overruns, streamlining fieldwork, and automating recurring replacements, you improve your unit economics naturally. The result? Better margins, healthier cash flow, and a more attractive business.


Because this is an ongoing process, the value of your business grows over time, not just in one snapshot. Even if you’re not selling tomorrow, preparing with OBG means when the time comes, your business will be in the strongest possible position to attract buyers and command a premium price.



The Unexpected Bonus: Falling Back in Love With Your Own Business


Here’s a little secret we’ve seen again and again: when owners use OBG to bring clarity and efficiency to their operations, something surprising happens. They start to re-discover the potential and profitability of their own business.


That nagging frustration about constant overruns? Gone. The stress of chasing paperwork or firefighting field issues? Reduced. Suddenly, the business that once felt like a daily grind starts to feel like a well-tuned, valuable asset - maybe even something worth holding onto a little longer.


So, if you’re thinking about selling your plant service business soon, One Big Green is the partner you need to prepare and maximize your value.


But beware: you might discover such a key to efficiency and profitability that you actually reconsider selling your business at all.


Because why sell the goose when it’s laying golden eggs - especially if One Big Green just taught it some new tricks?

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