5 Rules for Selling Your Nursery or Greenhouse

(Or: Why “If someone wants to buy it, let me know” is not a strategy.) If there’s one universal truth in selling a nursery, greenhouse, or any business, it’s this: buyers want answers… and lots of them. The smoothest, fastest sales happen when those answers are ready before a buyer ever shows up. The idea that someone will magically wander in, fall in love, wave a checkbook, and say “Take my money”… well, that’s a myth. A charming myth—but still a myth. Nothing gets sold until it’s actually for sale. And unless you, the owner, become an active partner in the process, the sale will sit parked in neutral forever. My job is to guide the ship—but I need your engine running. Every serious buyer—whether they’re a seasoned operator or a rookie who thinks a “liner” is a kind of shipping container—will ask these five questions. And to sell your business, you and I need clear, credible answers to all of them. ________________________________________ 1. What exactly is this business? Think of the Bobs from Office Space: “So… what would you say you do here?” Buyers want clarity. How the business works. How long it’s been doing it. Whether it actually makes money. Who the customers are. What the competitive landscape looks like. Where the future lies. In short: What does this company do—and why does it matter? If we can’t explain that cleanly, the deal is over before it begins. ________________________________________ 2. What does it cost—and how did you arrive there? Buyers don’t mind paying a fair price. They do mind paying a mysterious one. We need a number that is rational, documented, and defensible. Not “Gosh, it feels right,” but: assets, earnings, land, inventory, equipment, goodwill— all tied together in a coherent valuation. When the price makes sense, buyers take the next step. ________________________________________ 3. Who besides you says that price is fair? Your opinion matters. It just doesn’t close deals. Buyers want third-party support: • Comparable sales • Market multiples • Outside appraisals • Expert analysis When we can point to outside evidence, the buyer’s confidence goes up—and objections go down. ________________________________________ 4. How do I make my money back? Every buyer is asking the same quiet question: “If I buy this, how do I not end up living in a cardboard box behind Home Depot?” Whether they’re an investor or an owner-operator, ROI matters. Cash flow matters. A plan for how the business supports its next owner matters most of all. We must show a believable path to: • profitability • sustainability • and repayment of their investment. Without this, no buyer moves forward. ________________________________________ 5. How will I learn, transition, and succeed? Buyers need reassurance. Not guarantees—just grounded confidence. They want to understand: • What help they get from you during the transition • What training looks like • How long you’ll stick around • What support (or even financing) you might offer • How we bring this in for a smooth landing Most deals don’t fail because the numbers are wrong. They fail because the buyer gets spooked by the unknown. ________________________________________ The Bottom Line If you want to sell your nursery or greenhouse, don’t wait for a unicorn buyer to trot up the driveway. Let’s get the answers ready, the materials built, and the business properly presented. Buyers don’t appear out of thin air. They appear when the seller is ready. And when you’re ready, I’ll take it the rest of the way.