You've spent years building your window fitting business. At some point, maybe soon, maybe in a decade - you'll want to sell it. Retirement, new ventures, or just ready to move on. When that day comes, what exactly are you selling?
If the answer is "me, plus some vans and a customer list in my head" - that's not a business. That's a job that ends when you leave. And buyers know the difference.
The work you do now to organise your business doesn't just prepare you for sale. It makes you more profitable, less stressed, and more attractive to buyers when the time comes.
What buyers are really buying
A buyer isn't paying for your skills. They're paying for a machine that generates profit without you operating it every day.
That means they're looking for:
- Customer relationships that transfer. A documented customer database with history, not a list of names in your phone. They need to see who your customers are, what work you've done for them, and evidence of repeat business.
- Provable financials. Revenue and profit by job, not just annual accounts. They want to see which types of work are most profitable, what your margins actually are, and whether the numbers are consistent.
- Systems that work without you. How do jobs get scheduled? How do quotes get sent? How does the team know what to do? If the answer to everything is "I handle it," the business can't function without you.
- A team that stays. Employees who know the systems and will continue after you leave. If everything runs through you personally, they're buying a business that might collapse on handover.
The more of this you can demonstrate, the more your business is worth - and the more likely it is to sell at all.
The organisation gap
Most window fitting businesses run on a combination of the owner's memory, WhatsApp threads, spreadsheets, and good intentions. It works because you're there making it work.
From a buyer's perspective, this is terrifying. They see:
Customer information that disappears when you do. Job history that's scattered and incomplete. No clear picture of which jobs made money and which didn't. Processes that exist only in your head.
They're being asked to pay for something they can't fully see, can't verify, and can't easily run. That uncertainty translates directly to a lower offer - or no offer at all.
Closing the organisation gap isn't just about sale preparation. It's about building a business that's actually worth something separate from you.
What organised looks like to a buyer
Imagine showing a potential buyer:
A customer database with every client you've worked for, their contact details, and the complete history of jobs you've done for them. Evidence of repeat customers and referrals.
Job records showing every project: what was quoted, what was charged, when it was completed, photos of the work. A clear picture of the volume and type of work you do.
Financial data by job, showing actual costs and margins - not just annual totals. Evidence that you know which work is profitable and which isn't.
A scheduling system the team already uses. Workflows that don't require you to be present. Documentation of how things get done.
That's a business someone can buy with confidence. They can see what they're getting, verify the numbers, and believe it will keep running after you're gone.
Start now, even if sale is years away
The mistake most owners make is thinking about this six months before they want to sell. By then, you're trying to reconstruct years of history, implement systems under pressure, and hope it's enough.
Start now. Every job you record properly from today is evidence for a future buyer. Every customer you add to a proper database is an asset that transfers. Every process you document is proof the business can run without you.
The beautiful thing is that none of this is wasted effort. The same organisation that makes you sellable makes you more efficient today. You're not doing extra work for a future sale - you're running a better business that happens to also be sellable.
How FitterPal builds sale-ready foundations
FitterPal isn't sold as "sale preparation software." But everything it does creates the organised foundation buyers want to see.
Customer database. Every customer in one place with their complete job history. A buyer can see exactly who your customers are and what you've done for them.
Job records. Every job documented: what was quoted, what was scheduled, who did the work, photos from site. Years of history, searchable and verifiable.
Quote and invoice tracking. Financial history by job, not just bank statements. Evidence of conversion rates, average job values, payment patterns.
Team systems. Scheduling, job management, and communication that your fitters already use. A buyer can see that the operation doesn't depend on you being present for every decision.
Run FitterPal for two years before you sell, and you hand over a documented, organised business with verifiable history. That's worth more than promises and spreadsheets.
The valuation difference
Window fitting businesses typically sell for 1-3x annual profit, depending on size and circumstances. But within that range, organisation makes an enormous difference.
A disorganised business with revenue in the owner's head, no documented systems, and customer relationships that might not transfer? That's the low end - if it sells at all.
An organised business with documented customers, verifiable job history, clear financials, and systems the team already uses? That's the high end. The buyer has confidence. They'll pay for certainty.
On a business doing £80k annual profit, that's the difference between £80k and £240k. The organisation you build over the next few years could be worth six figures at sale.
Build a business, not a job
Whether you're selling next year or in twenty years, the goal is the same: build something that works without you, something that's worth something separate from your personal involvement.
That starts with organisation. Customer records, job history, documented processes, systems your team uses. The basics that turn a collection of activity into a transferable asset.
FitterPal makes this automatic. Every day you use it, you're building the documented, organised business that buyers pay premium prices for. Start now, and when the time comes to sell, you'll have something worth selling.
