THE SHORT ANSWER
Prepare achieved billed and staffed coverage, supported financials, payroll records, qualified people and customer conditions. Review site, agency/personnel, insurance and ownership-change issues with appropriate support. A multi-year agreement or patrol-verification system does not guarantee continuing hours, approved staffing or a price premium. Explain how service and payroll will continue through the handoff.
Trace staffed posts to billed service
Separate actual ongoing sites, events, temporary assignments and patrol work. Reconcile promised coverage, achieved attendance, supervisor/relief time, missed shifts, credits, billing and collection to annual financials. Read rate, scope, renewal, termination, assignment and ownership-change clauses using the consent register.
Show customer exposure by revenue and contribution, actual renewals and lost accounts. Separate accepted assignments from proposals and optional expansion. Use the guard-service earnings guide to reconcile contract costs and necessary owner replacement before discussing price.
Prepare personnel and payroll evidence
DOL’s guard fact sheet addresses covered non-exempt hours, records, multiple posts and between-site travel questions.
(DOL Fact Sheet 4: security-guard wage and hour guidance)Arrange professional review of actual time records, wages, overtime, deductions, relief work and unresolved claims under current applicable requirements. The July 2008 guidance is general information, not a complete current wage-law review or payroll certification.
Map owner recruiting, scheduling, site supervision, payroll, customer and incident duties using the coverage worksheet. Verify actual available qualified people and recurring replacement costs. A seller transition or planned recruitment campaign does not demonstrate permanent staffed capacity.
Review agency/personnel and operating conditions
Illinois IDFPR separately lists contractor, agency/branch, employee and firearm/training resources.
(Illinois IDFPR: security-profession licensing resources)Use actual jurisdiction, entity/person records and armed/unarmed service scope for responsible-authority review of continuation and ownership-change steps. The directory is not a complete statutory review, firearm authorization or nationwide license checklist.
Prepare actual incidents, claims, insurance, training, customer/site requirements and unresolved matters for appropriate advisors. Review vehicle/equipment title, liens, leases, condition and needed investment. Describe actual reporting systems and costs; software records do not eliminate liability or establish permitted operations.
Control disclosure and agree closing responsibilities
FTC guidance addresses necessary access and secure information handling.
(FTC: protecting personal information in business)Use approved redacted contracts, staffing and incident examples. Restrict site keys, codes, schedules, credentials and private personnel/customer records to authorized access. Resolve phone, reporting, payroll, billing and software-provider terms.
Define equipment, stock, receivables, payables, deposits, prepaid assignments, open coverage and complaint duties using the delivery guide. Plan introductions, transition and unresolved approvals with actual responsible people. No fixed preparation period, technology premium or long-term-contract label guarantees closing price or service continuation.
Owner questions
What should I prepare to sell guard services?
Actual staffed/billed results, contract conditions, payroll records, qualified coverage and operating/risk evidence.
Does a long-term contract guarantee future hours?
Review actual scope, rate changes, termination and ownership-change terms.
Does a reporting platform eliminate liability?
Review actual performance, incidents, training, contract and insurance conditions with qualified support.
Sources and review scope
Source review completed . The sources below support the identified concepts or rules; they do not validate hypothetical amounts or a valuation of your business.
- DOL Fact Sheet 4: security-guard wage and hour guidance
July 2008 general federal guidance, actually read in the rendered agency page: coverage, non-exempt hours/records, multiple posts, travel between sites and overtime questions. Full current linked regulations, exemptions, state/local rules and government-contract wage requirements need separate professional review. No payroll calculation, current wage-rate schedule, classification ruling or business clearance supplied.
- Illinois IDFPR: security-profession licensing resources
Illinois regulator directory distinguishes private-security contractor, agency/branch, employee-registration, firearm-card and training resources. Actual company/person/work scope and proposed ownership change need regulator/advisor review. Full linked statutes, rules, applications and exemptions not reviewed; not universal eligibility, transfer approval, firearm authorization or operating instructions.
- FTC: protecting personal information in business
Information inventory, necessary access, authentication, encryption, service-provider oversight, retention and incident planning. General security guidance; not an M&A privacy-law compliance certification.
Confirm tax, legal, accounting and lending applications with the relevant professionals. Historical market observations describe the stated period and reported sample.
This is educational material. Industry figures and program rules can change; check the original sources and your advisors before applying them to a transaction. Calculator scenarios are not appraisals, lending decisions, or offers.
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