Midwest Garden Care Firm Sold for Up to $120K After 3 Offers
Rachel Horner
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2 min read
About the Business
Industry: Home Services – Residential Landscaping and Garden Care
Location: Midwest
Size: $500K–$750K in annual revenue, $50K–$100K in cash flow
Sale price: Up to $120,000 ($70,000 at closing plus up to $50,000 tied to revenue)
Listing to signed LOI: 75 days
Signed LOI to close: 38 days
The Challenge: Selling Before the Spring Season
The owner was starting a new career and needed the sale done before the spring season. She wanted a buyer her team would trust.
75 Days to a Signed LOI: Three Offers Before Spring
What happened at every stage
Valuation: Baton valued the company on its cash flow and growth, with revenue up more than 50% from the prior year.
Buyer Outreach: Baton marketed the company through its network, a BizBuySell ad and a competitor list. 60+ buyers viewed the listing and 25 opened the data room, and the eventual buyer came in through Baton's ad and follow-up emails.
Offer Selection and Negotiation Support: With 3 offers in hand, the Baton advisor told the lead buyer that two others were waiting, and his written LOI arrived two days later. When Baton pushed for more cash up front, the buyer split the $50,000 earnout into two revenue tiers, and he later dropped a consulting condition.
Diligence and Closing Support: Baton built missing year-by-year earnings analyses, set up a diligence data room and turned the buyer's legal checklist into a shared live document. The deal closed 38 days after the LOI, in time for the spring season.
The Results
The buyer is a local entrepreneur who interviewed every key staff member before making his offer. Through Baton's process, the business:
Sold for up to $120,000: $70,000 in cash at closing plus up to $50,000 tied to first-year revenue
Drew 3 competing offers
Closed 38 days after the signed LOI, all cash at closing with no lender or seller note
What's next for the owner?
The owner has moved on to a new career in public service.
Advice and Lessons for Future Sellers
Time the sale around your season. Closing in early spring handed the buyer the business before its busiest months.
Let buyers meet your team. The owner chose the buyer who took time to get to know her employees.
Read the earnout triggers closely. Splitting the earnout into tiers put the first $30,000 within easier reach.