we acquire and operate outstanding home services businesses.
we believe in building culture-first companies.
we are experienced operators looking to acquire and operate outstanding home services businesses right here in our backyard.
we don’t have a ton of rules in terms of what we will or will not buy, but we do care deeply about two things that have served us well in the past:
(1) an employee-first culture that takes care of the people taking care of the customers;
(2) a history of delivering exceptionally reliable service.
FAQ’s
where is “here in our backyard?”
Fairfield County (CT), New Haven County (CT), Westchester County (NY), and the neighboring towns and counties to the north of New York City.
will you consider businesses further away?
it’s not likely, but you never know. the business generally needs to be within a 45 minute drive (no traffic) from home, as we intend to be hands on operators.
we have young kids, and while we are incredibly hard-working and committed to operating and growing your business, we don’t want to miss the golden years.
family is always first, and that means lots of nights and weekends at the hockey rink!
what size businesses are you seeking?
we don’t have any hard cut-offs in terms of revenue. we are looking for businesses that deliver consistent revenue and profitability year after year. we also like to get a sense of the number of customers you serve and for how long you’ve served them.
what types of home services businesses are you looking to acquire?
we are open to acquiring any home services business that meets the people/culture and customer service requirements above.
this would include exterior services, such landscaping, lawn-care, pest control, tree and arbor care, irrigation, gutter cleaning, window cleaning, pool maintenance, painting, waste removal, junk removal or power washing;
and interior services, which includes HVAC, plumbing, electric, duct cleaning, chimney cleaning, house cleaning, window cleaning, carpet/furniture cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, kitchen appliance repair or restoration services.
generally we find that businesses with great employee cultures and exceptional customer service have high repeat business and lots of referrals. we don’t like businesses tied to new construction.
please note, this list is not exhaustive. if you have a great business that meets our criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
my business is my legacy. what will happen to it?
we believe that the first thing we should do is not screw up what you’ve worked so hard to build. and we always find that you know a lot more about your business than we do.
because of this, we are looking to partner with existing owner operators for the first few years.
what this generally means is that we are buying businesses with owners that still have some gas left in the tank.
we appreciate that in lots of instances owners are selling because they are looking to retire, and in most instances we aim to provide that, but not on day one.
if you are looking to retire after working with us for a period of time, we will happily provide that off-ramp. it is our goal to continue to grow your business over the long term, and we don’t aim to sell it.
we hope to be lucky enough to one day pass it down to our kids.
if you are looking for owners to stay on, how are acquisitions structured?
as a general rule, we are looking to pay 65-75% in cash up front, with the balance in the form(s) of a seller’s note and/or rollover equity. please note this will always be on a case-by-case basis, and we aim to be as flexible as possible.
give us a shout.
if this sounds interesting to you, please reach out! we’d love to learn a bit more about your business, and if it sounds like a fit, meet in person over a cup of coffee.
You can fill out the form below or email us directly at hello@yellowdog.homes.