THE SHORT ANSWER
Prepare achieved site margins and reconciled annual results, then document actual contracts, crew and supervisor coverage, equipment and site-access conditions. Identify service obligations and customer approvals needed for the proposed sale. Recurring billing and a long contract term do not by themselves establish transferable earnings or a fixed valuation premium.
Build a site-by-site operating record
Separate routine cleaning, periodic floor work, special projects and other actual services. Trace each material site’s service scope, scheduled frequency, billed amounts, labor hours, supplies, equipment costs, travel, subcontracting, credits and complaint resolution. Reconcile site reports to annual financial results and explain shared supervision and administration.
Review customer exposure by revenue and contribution, actual renewal history and lost or reduced accounts. Keep unsigned bids separate from committed work. Use the commercial cleaning valuation guide to connect achieved site economics to supported annual earnings rather than presenting contracted revenue as profit.
Read contract and access conditions
SBA sale guidance addresses assets, liabilities and the written agreement.
(SBA: closing or selling a business)Prepare actual agreements, amendments and price changes. Record termination, renewal, assignment, ownership-change, notification and approval conditions using the consent register. Include service standards, periodic work, credits and remaining commitments. A renewal clause does not guarantee customer retention.
Determine who may approve staff/site access, credentials, keys, badges and system permissions. Review any actual customer security, screening or insurance conditions with advisors. Do not assume a corporate purchase automatically preserves every contract or permission, or promise a universal approval timetable.
Document crew, supervisor and product coverage
Identify scheduling, recruiting, training, site supervision, quality checks, supply purchasing and customer-resolution duties. Record actual availability and the owner’s work using the owner-role worksheet. Separate demonstrated coverage from proposed future hires and include necessary recurring replacement costs consistently.
The OSHA/NIOSH cleaning-chemical infosheet discusses product hazards, information access and worker training.
(OSHA/NIOSH: protecting workers who use cleaning chemicals)Prepare actual product, label, SDS and training records for qualified review of current requirements. Verify claimed certifications and their scope rather than treating a green label as safety clearance or a company-value premium. List equipment by ownership, condition and location, including customer-owned and leased items.
Prepare approved disclosure and delivery terms
FTC guidance addresses necessary access and secure business information.
(FTC: protecting personal information in business)Use approved redacted site and financial samples. Limit customer contacts, building access information, employee records and provider credentials to authorized handling. Review software and dispatch/account terms before assuming access continues.
Define vehicles, scrubbers, stock, receivables, payables, deposits, prepaid or unfinished services and liabilities included in the sale. Agree delivery and adjustments using the working-capital guide. Show payment timing and ongoing payroll requirements so buyers can evaluate funding. Prioritize actual operating issues and approvals; no fixed preparation period or SOP percentage premium is established.
Owner questions
What should I prepare before selling a janitorial company?
Site/annual financial results, actual contract conditions, supervisor and crew coverage, asset ownership and required access approvals.
Does recurring billing guarantee a premium?
Review achieved costs, renewal behavior and contract conditions; no fixed premium follows from billing frequency.
Can all site keys and access credentials be handed over?
Confirm authorized people, customer permissions and secure handling before any disclosure or use.
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.
- SBA: closing or selling a business
Valuation approaches, sale agreements, assets and ownership transfer.
- OSHA/NIOSH: protecting workers who use cleaning chemicals
Three-page 2012 advisory infosheet, currently agency-hosted: product hazards, SDS access, labeling, training and green-label limitations. Not the complete current Hazard Communication standard, a company inspection, product endorsement or a cleaning/dilution procedure. Review actual products/work under applicable current requirements with qualified support.
- 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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