Selling a firewood business

[hemploehippee]

Hi,

 

Has anybody had any success in selling a firewood business?? I’ve been selling firewood for the last 10 years and now sell in excess of 500 tonnes per year. I am looking to emigrate in the next year or two, seems a shame to let it fizzle out and I’ve built a good customer base, not sure how you go on selling a customer database with GDPR regulations.

 

TIA.

[Dan Maynard]

I think that's a tricky one. I've seen a few adverts of people selling all the gear, but as a business it would come down to finding someone local willing to give you money for the customer list. If they don't pay for the list they just up the advertising budget and collect the customers anyway....

[gdh]

Selling the equipment is no problem, although arguably you'd get a better price individually but a business has very little value unless you have contracts in place to prove it would give you income. 

 

I know a few people who have failed to sell but no one who has unfortunately. 

[topchippyles]

On 04/04/2019 at 16:43, hemploehippee said:

 

Hi,

 

Has anybody had any success in selling a firewood business?? I’ve been selling firewood for the last 10 years and now sell in excess of 500 tonnes per year. I am looking to emigrate in the next year or two, seems a shame to let it fizzle out and I’ve built a good customer base, not sure how you go on selling a customer database with GDPR regulations.

 

TIA.

 

First thing is to say what area you are in and put out some feelers as there a lot of lads on here with good connections and you may get some interest.

[hemploehippee]

We are based in Northamptonshire, very close to Leicestershire/Warwickshire border. Looking to do maybe one more season, won’t be buying in anymore stock, when it’s gone thats me finished.

[Alycidon]

Several people in the area have packed up,  just cant make money buying in at £85 a ton plus VAT and trying to compete with at least two people locally ( I am about 10 miles from Hemploe) selling cheap and at least one of those offers free carry and stack up to 20m from point of delivery.      I do note though that while their prices have not risen for some years the bag size has fallen down to 0.8 cu m. so a 900mm bag with a bit of stretch.     No point being a busy fool.

 

[ash_smith123]

Several people in the area have packed up,  just cant make money buying in at £85 a ton plus VAT and trying to compete with at least two people locally ( I am about 10 miles from Hemploe) selling cheap and at least one of those offers free carry and stack up to 20m from point of delivery.      I do note though that while their prices have not risen for some years the bag size has fallen down to 0.8 cu m. so a 900mm bag with a bit of stretch.     No point being a busy fool.
 

A farmer down the road from me has gone up from £80 to £135 a cubic metre for kiln dried hardwood in a year! ?

[richardwale]

22 hours ago, ash_smith123 said:

 

 

A farmer down the road from me has gone up from £80 to £135 a cubic metre for kiln dried hardwood in a year! ?

 

Reckon that's a fair price.

[Alycidon]

To get back to your original question.

 

If the business runs pretty well without much input from the owner then the sale value should be around a figure of the last three years pre tax profits plus stock at valuation.  

 

A

[Alycidon]

On 17/04/2019 at 19:04, ash_smith123 said:

 

 

A farmer down the road from me has gone up from £80 to £135 a cubic metre for kiln dried hardwood in a year! ?

 

That would suggest he is probably importing it, or has an RHI kiln.

A