Generating competition between parties who are interested in buying a business is a successful strategy for Nevile & Co Commercial Lawyers.
As with most sales, it pays not to be in a hurry. This is certainly the case when selling a pest control business; aim to sell quickly, and it will most often result in getting a less attractive price. Working with someone who understands this, and has experience of the process, is likely to achieve the best outcome.
Nevile & Co Commercial Lawyers have more than 50 years’ professional experience. In the last seven years they have negotiated, documented and settled the sales of a significant number of pest control companies, including the sale of one of Australia’s largest pest control businesses. Some examples are Adams Pest Control (sold to Orkin), Allrid Pest Control (sold to Rentokil) and Canberra Pest Control (sold to Flick).
In each case, the sales strategy is clear: to generate competition between purchasers. It is a strategy that makes sense, especially in the pest control market where several large operators are actively seeking to acquire businesses.
Instead of charging legal fees based on time, Nevile & Co work on a no-sale, no-fee basis. This means fees are only payable once a price has been secured that is acceptable to the seller (assuming the price is of course commercially realistic).
“We have achieved outstanding results in the sale of several pest control businesses, and in some cases, achieving a much better price than the seller expected,” said Peter Nevile, founding partner at Nevile & Co Commercial Lawyers. “For anyone thinking of retiring or selling their pest control business, we are happy to put them in touch with some of our past clients so they can independently verify and share their experiences of working with us.”
Nevile & Co have a clear understanding of what it takes to make a pest control business an attractive proposition to potential buyers. One of the most important elements, unsurprisingly, is the ability of the vendor to remain available to run the business for a reasonable transition period to ensure maximum retention of customers and staff. In some cases, as with the sale of Geelong Pest Control to Rentokil in November 2024, the owners have continued to operate the business with the prospect of a much bigger future under the new brand.
Nevile & Co are presently negotiating the sale of four pest control companies and would be interested to hear from other pest management business owners who would like to explore their options. Interested pest managers can get in touch via the Nevile & Co website for a free, no obligation chat.
