When you buy a boiler service company, you are mostly buying people who have not met you yet: homeowners and building managers who trust the current owner. A buy-side review tests how many of those customers are active, how attached they are to the seller personally, and whether the phone number, website and reviews will come with you.
What this review is, and what it is not
It is a marketing and customer-base review from an operator's point of view. It is not a valuation, a legal due-diligence report or tax advice, and we do not broker the transaction. If you need help with price, structure or finding a business to buy, the group's business-sale brand, BizSell.ca, is the place to start. Your lawyer and accountant handle the purchase agreement and tax structure.
We are also not a contractor. We will not inspect equipment or judge the technicians' work; a licensed person you trust should do that.
The outside review: before you sign a letter of intent
Using only public information, we look at:
- Search visibility. Does the company appear for boiler searches in its own towns, or only for its name?
- Google Business Profile. Who owns it, how many reviews there are, how recent they are, and whether the owner answers them.
- Review content. Do customers name the owner in every review? If 80% of reviews say "Dave was great", the goodwill is attached to Dave.
- Website and domain. Age, structure, and whether it brings in calls or just sits there.
- Phone number. Is it on the van, the website and the map listing, and is it a number that can be transferred?
The inside review: before closing
With the seller's permission, we go deeper:
- Active customer count. Customers with a paid visit in the last 24 months, not every name ever entered in the software.
- Agreement book. How many care plans are active, their renewal dates, renewal rate, and whether they auto-renew or depend on the owner calling.
- Revenue concentration. The share of revenue from the top 10 accounts, and how many are property managers who could leave with one email.
- Lead sources. Where new customers came from over the last year.
- Asset list for transfer. Domain registrar, hosting, phone carrier, Google and Meta accounts, email lists, and who holds each login.
A worked example
Say the seller's software lists 2,400 customers. On review, 900 had a paid visit in the last 24 months, and 260 hold an active care plan, of which 78% renewed last year. Suppose the asking price assumed "2,400 customers". The real core of the business is 260 agreement customers plus perhaps 640 occasional ones. That does not mean the deal is bad; it means you now know which number to discuss with your adviser, and which 260 people need a call from you in week one.
Timeline
- Outside review: about one week from your request.
- Inside review: one to three weeks after the seller grants access.
- Transition plan: delivered with the inside review, ready for closing day.
How results are measured after you buy
We track three numbers through the first year: agreement renewal rate versus the seller's history, calls from the existing phone number and map listing, and new reviews that name the new team. If renewals hold within 10 points of the seller's rate, the transition has worked.
Mistakes buyers make
- Counting every customer in the database. Inactive names are not goodwill.
- Forgetting the phone number. If the number cannot be ported, years of van lettering and listings point to a dead line.
- Leaving the Google profile in the seller's name. Ownership must be transferred, not just shared.
- Changing the brand on day one. A sudden new name can look like the company closed. Read the buying guide for a safer sequence.
- Waiting for spring to meet the agreement customers. Introduce yourself before their next renewal.
Once you own the company, the first-year marketing plan and agreement relaunch pick up from here. See pricing for how this work is quoted.
Frequently asked questions
Do you value the business or negotiate the price?
No. We do not value businesses, broker deals or give legal or tax advice. The group's business-sale brand, BizSell.ca, handles valuation and deal work, and your lawyer and accountant handle the contract and structure.
Do you need access to the seller's systems?
For the outside review, no. For the inside review we need read access to the customer records, phone reports and online accounts, which the seller grants with your agreement. We sign a confidentiality agreement if asked.
How long does a review take?
The outside review usually takes about a week. The inside review takes one to three weeks depending on how organised the seller's records are. Timelines are agreed in writing.
What happens after closing?
Most buyers move straight into a transition version of the first-year marketing plan, so customers hear from the new owner before a competitor reaches them.