How a landscaping business owner hit his retirement goal, with Baton.
Sam Rodriguez
December 21, 2023 ⋅ 3 min read
About the business
🗂️ Industry: Landscape Construction
📍 Location: Long Island, NY
💰 Revenue: $891K
🏢 Size: 0-10 employees
The challenges
Ed Dedicke, former owner of Paradise Ponds in Bethpage, New York, had run a successful landscape construction business for 22 years and was ready to retire. The business had loyal clients and strong cash flow. Ed was sure it would sell quickly, but the process wasn’t as straightforward as he’d assumed.
Like many owners, Ed was an expert in his field. It only felt natural for him to defer to the experienced business broker he first connected with — expert in selling businesses. But doubts started to creep in when the broker posted a business listing that made no mention of ponds or waterfalls — Paradise Pond’s whole business. On top of that, Ed’s calls with questions often went unanswered.
Next, Ed listed his business on BizBuySell, but he received only a few bites, and they went nowhere.
Why Baton?
When Ed met Baton, we assured him his business was a perfect fit for the market and that we’d help him tell the full story of his business — including a listing photo and description that captured the business’s strengths. We knew Ed had lost precious time in the process already. We assured him we’d stay in high gear and bring him serious buyers only, until we got his business sold.
From “hello” to close
Ed came aboard in April of 2023. Here’s what his Baton journey looked like:
Ed received our proprietary, data-backed valuation of Paradise Ponds.
He was introduced to his Acquisition Advisor, Tom, who talked him through the process of selling with Baton.
We presented Ed with a pricing structure that helped him both maximize his take-home from the sale and gave him faith that Baton would not sit on his deal the way other brokers had.
Baton launched buyer outreach to multiple marketplaces, our own qualified buyer pool, and local competitors, leaving no stone unturned. All potential buyers received calls, texts, and emails.
In addition to weekly updates, Tom responded when Ed had questions or feedback.
We presented Ed with a buyer who did not have direct industry experience but did have the right mindset. According to Ed, he felt Ilan was ready to “knock it out of the park.”
By July, once all of the paperwork had been completed, the deal was closed. Ed was ready to support Ilan in his ownership transition and enter a new phase of life: retirement.
Baton collected 1/3 of the fees a traditional broker would have, so Ed was able to make more on the sale and see fair compensation for his life’s hard work.
“My previous broker didn’t mention anything about ponds or waterfalls [in the listing], and that’s the only thing we do. BizBuySell didn’t go very far either. With Baton, Tom was always there when you needed him. I listed in April and closed July 14th.”
- Ed Dedicke, Former Owner, Paradise Ponds
Thinking about selling your business? Learn about our process and your business’s worth today.
