Insights

Selling and growing an essential services business in SEQ

Plain-English guides on what your business is worth, what buyers look for, and how to grow its value before you sell. Written by Sandi and Marcus, the operators behind Lumina Ventures.

Market data · 2026

SEQ essential services valuation benchmarks

Selling your business 10 min

Who Buys a Business and Actually Runs It? Your Options If You Don't Want Private Equity

Most owners think the big decision is the price. For anyone who cares what happens next, the bigger decision is which kind of buyer you sell to, because that decides what your business becomes.

Marcus Hahnheuser

Selling your business 8 min

Selling on Your Terms: How a Business Sale Can Actually Be Structured

A sale is rarely a single cliff-edge of cash. It's usually a mix of pieces you can shape, so you can step back on your terms and protect the people and name you built.

Sandi Xian

Operations 9 min

What Is a Business Efficiency Audit? (And What It Actually Finds)

A business efficiency audit finds the profit hiding in your operations: bloated process, duplicated software, manual work AI can do, and jobs only you can do. Here's how it works and what it's worth.

Marcus Hahnheuser

Exit readiness 8 min

Reduce Owner-Dependency Before You Sell: The #1 Driver of Your Sale Price

If your business can't run for a month without you, a buyer sees a job, not an asset. Gently reducing how much it depends on you is the highest-return thing you can do before you sell.

Sandi Xian

Valuation 10 min

What EBITDA Multiple Will Your Essential Services Business Sell For in SEQ? (2026)

Most established essential services businesses sell for 3 to 5 times normalised EBITDA. Where you land is driven by recurring revenue and how little the business depends on you, not by the trade you're in.

Marcus Hahnheuser