Advising Sellers

Selling Home Service Businesses – Confidential Guidance You Can Trust

If you’re thinking of selling your home services business (propane, heating oil, or pest control), it is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll ever make. Many sellers underestimate what this process will entail.

You’ve probably put years of your life into the business, and care deeply about your employees and your company’s reputation. It might have been in your family for generations. Getting the right price is essential. But so is finding the right buyer.

Cetane Associates can make a huge difference for you. Cetane Associates specializes in generating maximum interest from qualified buyers to allow you to choose the best deal based on your priorities.

We know all the buyers—the way they evaluate potential companies, their track record for making the process easy or grueling, whether they change terms at closing, what it’s like after the acquisition.
We understand the many complexities that can arise—and are prepared to either help you avoid them or work through them.
We understand how to position your company and present your financial results to show maximum value.
We know how to get your deal done. And we know how to maintain strict confidentiality at every step of the way.

selling home service business

The Cetane Advantage when Selling Home Service Businesses

Our senior advisors have unparalleled experience in acquisitions. All told, they’ve participated in more than 550 transactions. There are few deal issues or challenges they haven’t encountered. You gain the benefits of this experience throughout the transaction and especially if an unexpected road block arises.

Perhaps most important, we are there with you every step of the way—weekdays, evenings, weekends—to support you in creating the best possible outcome when you are selling a propane company, pest control or heating oil business.

See firsthand what our clients say about working with us.

You can also get a better sense of our team and our approach here.

Ready to Think About Your Next Step?

Talk confidentially with one of our senior advisors. We’ll answer all your questions and help give you a better sense of what to expect if you decide to go forward with the sale of your business.

Top 5 Issues Many Sellers Miscalculate

  1. How you run and value your business is often very different than how a buyer evaluates you. Only by framing things with them in mind can you achieve the highest return.
  2. The preparation and time it takes to prepare a business to sell at maximum value is more than most people think.
  3. The intricacies of pest control, propane and heating oil create complications that a typical lawyer or accountant has never come across, and their inexperience can delay or derail transactions.
  4. The number of twists and turns before a transaction closes are greater than people think.
  5. Doing a “quiet deal” by yourself appears simpler, but almost always ends up costing you money and increases the odds that a good transaction will not occur. It is absolutely possible to maintain confidentiality and still attract multiple offers.

Not Sure if You’re Ready to Sell Your Business?

No problem. This is a big decision, and one that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. In fact, many times it can be very valuable to talk to us years ahead of your potential sale. We can often identify steps you can take to significantly increase the value of your business.

Have a confidential conversation to explore how we can help you make this important decision.


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Cetane Associates helped us evaluate and negotiate our Imperial Fuel acquisition and provided support right through the transition process. Access to Steve Abbate’s knowledge and experience really made a difference for us.

— Lisa Carangelo, President of Booma Oil and Energy, Lynn, MA