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How to choose a pest control M&A advisor.

You will work with this person under confidentiality, for six to nine months, through the most significant financial event of your life. Eight questions surface everything that matters.

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Written by Kemp Anderson · 6 min read
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Why the choice mattersThe eight questionsRed flagsCommon mistakesFAQ
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The short answer

Advisors differ in four ways that matter: what they specialize in, who they represent, how they are paid, and who actually does the work on your deal. Ask about all four before you sign anything.

This is not a vendor decision.

An M&A engagement is exclusive and it runs for months. During that time this person will know more about your finances than anyone except your spouse and your accountant, will speak on your behalf to the people who may end up owning your company, and will be in the room for every decision that determines what you walk away with.

Owners often spend more time choosing a truck fleet than choosing the advisor who will handle a life-changing transaction. The questions below take twenty minutes and are the highest-return twenty minutes in the entire process.

The eight questions.

1
How many deals have you closed in my specific industry?
Not home services broadly. Pest control, termite or lawn. Ask for the number and ask to see the transaction record.
2
Do you ever represent buyers?
A yes means the firm sits on both sides of the market. That is a structural conflict, however it is managed.
3
Who pays your fee, and how is it structured?
Seller-paid and success-weighted aligns their outcome to yours. Buyer-funded models do not, whatever the marketing says.
4
Who runs my deal, day to day?
The senior name on the pitch is not always the person doing the work. Get the name and meet them.
5
How many buyers will you approach, and who are they?
A real answer is a number and a category breakdown: nationals, platforms, regionals. Vagueness here predicts vagueness later.
6
How do you protect confidentiality?
The right answer describes a mechanism (blind profile, NDA before disclosure, controlled data room), not a promise.
7
What is your view of my business, honestly?
A good advisor will tell you what is weak, not just what is strong. If everything about your company is wonderful, you are being sold to.
8
What happens if I decide not to sell?
You should be able to walk away from a process. Ask what that costs and what happens to the confidential information already shared.

Four things that should give you pause.

A precise valuation before anyone has read your financials. Nobody can do that, so it is a number chosen to win your business.

A logo wall instead of a transaction record. Logos of companies you recognize are not evidence that this firm sold them.

Pressure to sign quickly, or an exclusivity period measured in years. Neither serves you.

Evasiveness about fees. A firm unwilling to explain plainly how it gets paid will not become clearer once you have signed.

Common mistakes
Not asking who does the work
The person who pitches you is often not the person who runs your deal. Ask, and meet them.
Skipping the conflict question
Ask directly whether they ever represent buyers and who pays them. Both answers should be one word long.
Hiring on relationship alone
Trust matters enormously, but it is not a substitute for a track record in your specific vertical.
Choosing the highest estimate
The advisor who quotes the biggest number is bidding for your signature, not for your business.
What KAC does
✓
We answer all eight of these directly on the first call, including the ones about fees.
✓
We show real closed transactions in your industry, not a logo wall.
✓
Kemp is on your deal from the first call to closing. There is no handoff.
✓
We represent sellers only, in every vertical, with no exceptions.

Frequently asked

A specialist knows your buyer universe by name, knows how each one models a route book, and has credibility with them before the first call. In a low-volume, relationship-driven industry that is worth more than scale.

Typically six to nine months from first call to funds wired, with diligence accounting for much of the back half.

Nothing formal. Three years of financials help, but a first call is about your goals and timeline. Nothing you say obliges you to do anything.

Yes, and you should. Ask for owners who sold companies of similar size in your vertical, and ask them what went wrong as well as what went right. See our client stories.

Related terms
Listing service vs. advisor vs. roll-upConfidentiality & NDAsWhat companies sell forMeet Kemp

Start with the questions.

Bring all eight to your first call with Kemp. He will answer every one.

Schedule a call with Kemp