Buying a commercial cleaning company in Space Coast and Volusia

• Many customers, none too large, so losing one doesn't hurt badly. Watch for one property manager who controls several buildings.
• Customers who have stayed for years, including through price increases.
• Prices based on the hours each building actually takes, with profit tracked by account.
• Area managers or supervisors who check the work and handle complaints without the owner.
• Specialized work that's harder to replace, like medical offices, floor care or buildings that require security clearances.
• A steady way to hire and train, because turnover never stops here.
• Written agreements with every customer, not handshake deals.
• Customers who've added services over time, a sign they trust the company in their building.

• Revenue by customer, and the five largest customers' share.
• Contract terms: length, notice period, price increase clauses, and whether the contracts can be transferred to you.
• Customer turnover: accounts gained and lost each year for three years.
• Labor cost per account, overtime, and pay compared with local competitors.
• How cleaners are paid: as employees with taxes withheld, or as contractors with nothing withheld. If contractors, ask your accountant about the risk.
• Immigration paperwork (Form I-9) for every employee. Florida also requires employers with 25 or more employees to check new hires through E-Verify.
• Insurance claims: damage to customers' property, accusations of theft, injuries.
• Who customers deal with, and whether they'll stay.
• Supervision: how many buildings each supervisor checks in a night, and what happens when a cleaner doesn't show.

• How many accounts do you have, and how long has the average customer been with you?
• Which accounts did you lose last year, and why?
• Are your cleaners employees or independent contractors?
• How do you know a building was cleaned properly?
• When did you last raise prices, and how did customers react?
• Who brings in new accounts now?
• Which customers buy extras like floor care, and how do you price it?

This region covers Brevard, Volusia and Flagler counties: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast. Brevard's economy is built around space. Rockets launch often from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and aerospace and defense manufacturers and their suppliers employ engineers, technicians and machinists across the county. Port Canaveral is a major cruise port.

Volusia depends more on tourism, beaches and big events, with Daytona's motorsports and motorcycle rallies drawing crowds. Health care and a large retired population matter too. Flagler County, around Palm Coast, is mostly residential. Machine shops, electrical and engineering firms, home service companies, marine businesses and restaurants all have a place here.

Brevard's fortunes follow the space and defense programs. A company that sells to aerospace firms should be able to show you how many customers it depends on and how secure their work is. Business in Volusia spikes around big events and the winter season, so look at revenue by month.

The whole coast faces storm risk. In 2022, Hurricane Ian brought flooding to much of Volusia, and Hurricane Nicole, which came ashore near Vero Beach six weeks later, washed away beaches and seawalls along the Volusia coast. Beachfront property needs careful insurance and structural checks. The Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River make boating and fishing part of daily life, which keeps the marine trades busy. Palm Coast and the Palm Bay area have added many new homes, and companies serving those areas have grown with them.