Selling the business you built
Most owners we speak with have never sold a business. Here's how we approach it, what we look for, and what happens if you decide to start a conversation.
Why Sell to IFP
Selling is really two decisions: who you work with through the process, and who owns what you built afterward.
Before the close
You're dealing with operators
We've run service organizations and managed field teams. We understand your business - the problems and the opportunities.
Terms built around your goals
Structured around your priorities and your timeline.
A confidential process
Nothing moves without your knowledge, and your team hears about it when you decide.
After the close
Long-term ownership
We acquire to own and operate, not to resell.
Your people and your culture
We protect what got you here and give your team room to grow.
Investment you couldn't justify alone
Back-office support, equipment, systems, and training.
Your role is your decision
Some owners want a clean handoff. Some want to keep running the business with the financial pressure lifted. Some stay through a transition, or roll equity and keep building alongside us. All of it works - tell us early which one you are, because it changes how the deal is structured.
What makes a business a fit
We're looking for well-run service businesses with recurring work and a team that performs it.
Fits well
Self-performed work
Recurring service under contract, or long-standing repeat client relationships
Revenues between $15 - $100M
Commercial and multifamily clients
A long operating history with a strong management layer
The services we acquire
-
Janitorial & Floor Care
-
Facility Maintenance
-
Landscaping & Exterior Maintenance
-
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP)
-
Painting
How a transaction comes together
1. Getting to know each other - 15 to 45 days
An introductory call. No financials, no NDA, no preparation.
If there's mutual interest, we sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement.
You share preliminary financial information and we work through questions together.
We present an Indication of Interest (IOI) - a written, non-binding valuation range, so you know where we stand before going any further.
2. Deeper review and terms - 30 to 45 days
More detailed financial and operational information, and an open Q&A on both sides.
We present a Letter of Intent (LOI) setting out price, structure, and the specific terms of our offer.
3. Confirmatory diligence - 30 to 75 days
We confirm what we've already reviewed: financials, operations, contracts, agreements, and corporate records.
We don't contact your employees, clients, or suppliers without your written approval.
Draft and negotiate the purchase agreement and related documents.
4. Transition and close - 30 to 45 days
Transaction documents are finalized and signed.
You decide when and how your team and clients are told, and we plan the handoff together.
Confidentiality
Nothing moves without your knowledge. We don't contact your employees, your clients, or your suppliers without your approval.
If conversations end, your information is returned or destroyed, and nothing about our discussions goes anywhere. That holds whether or not we reach an agreement.
You don't need to have decided anything
A first conversation takes about thirty minutes. You don't need anything and you don't need to have made up your mind.
Every conversation is confidential.