Exit Planning Through Real Stories

What Is My Business Worth? Free Calculator for Service Companies

How service business valuations actually work. EBITDA multiples, add-backs, industry benchmarks, and the formula that determines whether you walk away with $4M or $9M. Use our free calculator to see your number.

Business Valuation Multiples by Industry: 2026 Service Company Data

Real 2026 EBITDA multiples for plumbing (4x-7x), HVAC (4.5x-8x), electrical (4x-6.5x), pest control (5x-8x), landscaping, roofing, and more. What drives the spread between low and high multiples - and how to move your business to the top of the range.

How to Sell a Service Business in 2026: The Complete Guide

The full playbook from preparation to closing. Pre-sale prep, finding buyers, negotiation, due diligence, and deal structure - specific to plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and service companies. Why 2026 is a strong seller's window.

How to Retire From Your Business Without Leaving Money on the Table

Most service business owners get 40-60% less than they expect when they retire. The 6-month preparation window that changes everything. Financials, owner dependency, revenue mix, and the emotional side nobody talks about.

Is Your Business Owner-Dependent? The Test That Reveals Everything

The Founder Absence Test: leave for two weeks with no contact and see what happens. Ten signs of owner dependency, what it costs you (hint: $3M+), and the 6-month fix that nearly doubles your exit multiple.

Your Plumbing Company Is Now Worth More Than a SaaS Startup

SaaS P/E multiples collapsed from 84x to 22.7x - below the S&P 500 for the first time. AI is destroying the per-seat model. Meanwhile PE firms are paying 5-8x for HVAC and plumbing companies with recurring revenue. The "boring" business is the smart money bet.

The Revenue Quality Test: What PE Buyers Check Before They Even Look at Your EBITDA

FinTech IPO delays prove revenue quality beats revenue quantity. Here is the exact 6-point screen PE buyers use: recurring vs project mix, customer concentration, contract length, churn rate, gross margin by line, and owner dependency. Score yourself.

The 10% Shift That Adds $2M to Your Exit Price

WashTec shifted recurring revenue to 45.1% and expanded EBIT margins to 9.8%. The math: $8M company, shift 10% to recurring, EBITDA goes from $1.2M to $1.32M, multiple expands from 5x to 6.5x. Exit price jumps from $6M to $8.58M. One operational change.

The 90% Haircut: Why Waiting to Sell Your Business Could Cost You Everything

Unacademy went from $3.4B to $250M because they waited. Your $10M plumbing company won't get a better offer in 3 years just because you "feel like it should be worth more." PE dry powder is at $2.6 trillion. Timing beats emotion.

PE Firms Have $2.6 Trillion and They're Coming for Your Industry

Private equity is rolling up service businesses at record pace. Vertex Roofing scaled to $600M via 30 acquisitions. Wrench Group hit $14B. Be the platform company at 7-10x, not the bolt-on at 3-5x.

Your Banker Just Got Acquired. Here's Why That's Your Wake-Up Call.

Over 100 bank mergers in 2024 alone. Community banks disappearing at 4% per year. When your banking relationship changes, your credit lines, SBA lending, and exit financing all shift. Here is what to do about it.

Stop Selling a Business. Start Selling a Foundation.

Buyers don't want trucks and tools. They want systems, recurring revenue, and a customer base they can build on. Mailchimp sold for $12B. Comfort Systems trades at 15-18x. Here is how to reframe your exit and command 7-8x instead of 4-5x.

The Silver Tsunami Is Here. Your Service Business Exit Can't Wait.

Forbes calls it the silver tsunami. 6 million small business owners will reach retirement by 2035. Here is why service business owners over 55 need an exit plan now - not next year.

Why Service Business Owners Over 55 Should Start Exit Planning Now

McKinsey says $5 trillion in business assets are changing hands. If you're over 55 with $5M-$50M in revenue, the clock is ticking. Here's why starting your exit plan now - not later - protects everything you've built.

HVAC Business Exit Mistakes That Cost Owners Millions

The most expensive HVAC business exit mistakes - and the real stories that prove them. From Wrench Group's $14B rollup to Toys R Us losing 33,000 jobs, here is what to avoid.

How to Value an Electrical Business for Sale

How to value an electrical business for sale. Real numbers from Wrench Group's $14B rollup, Orkin's 63-year system, and what PE buyers actually pay for in electrical contracting companies.

How to Sell a Plumbing Business: What the Consolidators Are Actually Buying

Ken Langone built Wrench Group into a $14B platform from 450 fragmented companies. Otto Orkin sold at 7x by building documented systems. Pete Schopen took 17 years and sold to the same buyer. Here's what they were all looking for.

Business Exit Planning for Contractors: Start Before You Think You Need To

Toys R Us was a 50-year institution. Three PE firms loaded it with $5.3B in debt and killed 33,000 jobs. Charles Lazarus died the week the last stores closed. Schopen built a $4M exit instead. Here's the difference between those two outcomes.

What Is My HVAC Business Worth? The 3x vs. 14x Multiple Gap

Wrench Group proved standalone HVAC companies sell for 3-5x EBITDA. Inside a platform, the same companies are worth 10-14x. McDonald's didn't invent the hamburger - they systematized it. The E-Myth explains why most trade owners never capture the premium multiple.

Owner-Dependent Business Valuation: The Hidden Discount in Your Exit Price

Michael Gerber: "If your business depends on you, you don't own a business - you have a job." Toyota built a system where average people produce extraordinary results. Kodak buried the digital camera to protect film profits and filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Three stories, one lesson.

Succession Planning for service businesses: Sears, Ford, and Orkin Tell You Everything

Sears was founded in 1886. 132 years of equity destroyed in a decade by financial engineering. Ford's assembly line genius nearly killed his own company when he couldn't let go. Orkin's systems outlived the founder by 60+ years. Which story do you want for your business?

How to Increase Business Valuation Before Selling: Three Turnarounds That Show You What Works

Domino's admitted their pizza was terrible - on national TV - and went from $3 stock to $500+. A 16,000% increase. Starbucks turned a $0.10 commodity into a $6 experience. DeJoria built Patron to a $5.1B exit through premium positioning in a commodity market.

Selling a Business at 60: Three Founders Who Proved the Timeline Is Yours to Set

Colonel Sanders started franchising KFC at 65 with $105/month in Social Security. Mary Kay launched with $5,000 at 45 after being passed over one too many times. Dave Thomas got his GED at 61. The evidence is overwhelming: age is not the constraint.

Business Exit Strategy for Service Companies: Culture, Systems, and the $12 Billion Lesson

Southwest Airlines was profitable 47 consecutive years because the culture was in the systems - not in any single leader. Zappos negotiated culture preservation as a deal term in their $1.2B Amazon acquisition. Mailchimp bootstrapped 20 years and exited for $12B. The service business exit blueprint.

What Buyers Look for When Buying a Business: The Wrench Group Checklist

Wrench Group evaluated 3,000+ potential acquisitions per year and selected roughly 100. GE's financial engineering looked brilliant for 20 years - then needed a $139B government bailout. Netflix's Keeper Test reveals what retention-based thinking produces. Here's what the best buyers actually evaluate.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business? Orkin, Schopen, and Mailchimp Answer

The transaction is 6-12 months. Orkin built for 63 years and sold for 7x the acquirer's revenue. Schopen built for 17 years and sold to the same buyer. Mailchimp built for 20 years and exited for $12B. The preparation is the exit. The closing is just the paperwork.

The Concentration Trap: Why Your Biggest Client Is Your Biggest Risk

Revenue concentration is the silent killer of business valuations. When one client represents more than 15% of revenue, buyers see risk. Here is how to diversify before going to market.