Trey McWilliams: The number one concern I hear is: “What’s going to happen to my people?” Contractors know their teams and their customers are the heartbeat of the business. Many have techs that have been with them for decades or customers who’ve trusted them for generations. Owners want assurance that their people will still be taken care of when they’re no longer at the helm.
The second concern is making sure they’re getting a fair value for what they’ve built. Most of these owners have poured their entire lives into their businesses. It’s not just a line on a balance sheet. They want to know they’re being rewarded for that sacrifice.
CONTRACTOR: For many of these business owners, legacy is as (or more) important than the money they may make off the sale of their company. Why do you think continuity of identity is so important to so many in the home services industry?
Trey McWilliams: In the home service industry, your name and your reputation are your brand. Most contractors started small—sometimes just a truck and a dream—and they built their company one customer at a time. That name on the side of the van is more than a logo. It represents years of 2:00 AM calls, keeping promises to customers and showing up for their communities.
So when it comes time to sell, it’s not just about dollars. It’s about whether the values, the story and the identity they worked so hard to establish will still live on. That continuity of identity is how they measure whether their life’s work really mattered.
CONTRACTOR: Many people looking to sell feel that the things that make their company unique are the first things a buyer will dispose of. How can that sense of legacy actually be a selling point that increases the value of a company?
That’s a great question, and it’s one of the areas we’re really passionate about at Blue Cardinal. The reality is that the unique culture and identity of a home service business should add value and not be liabilities. A strong reputation, a loyal team and deep community roots are things you can’t just buy off the shelf.
When positioned correctly, those elements can command a higher valuation because they represent stability and customer loyalty that buyers crave. Instead of being stripped away, they should be highlighted as the “secret sauce” that sets a company apart in a crowded market.
Our job is to help owners tell that story in a way that resonates with the right buyer. Legacy doesn’t have to be something you sacrifice. It can be the very thing that makes your business irresistible.
