UPDATED AUGUST 2026
16 INDUSTRY SECTORS42 BENCHMARK PAGESQ3 2021–Q2 2026 SALESMAIN STREET → MIDDLE MARKETExplore market

THE BUSINESS SALE MARKET, IN NUMBERS

What could your business sell for?

Start with one earnings number. Get an instant market estimate now, then add the missing details for a private, source-linked valuation.

QUICK ESTIMATE · STEP 1 OF 3

What does your business earn?

Choose the description that fits best. You can refine everything before seeing your private valuation.

$

Not sure? Calculate owner earnings from profit.

Instant public market range$435K–$1.22MWhere $250,000 of owner earnings lands across 26 business types
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Turn this market estimate into your valuation.

  1. 1Save privatelyEmail and password only
  2. 2Add the missing factsAdd industry and revenue
  3. 3See your rangeSource-linked and editable

Choose a business type to narrow the public comparison. This is a market starting point—not your final valuation. Your amount stays in this browser. See the source data →

Q2 2026US business-sale pulse 10% fewer transactions YoY

Businesses sold

2,117Reported closed transactions

Enterprise value

$1.8BAcross reported sales

Median sale price

$349,250Down 1% year over year

Cash flow multiple

2.7× Up 2% year over year

Quarterly figures reported by BizBuySell. View the current report

INDEPENDENT INDEX · 2026-08-14One more lens on the market.Map 15 sectors × six deal sizes
4,359sanitized transaction records indexed
392recent rows with usable valuation multiples
Find my closest cohort

MAIN STREET → MIDDLE MARKET

Private-market multiples change by industry, company size, and buyer universe.

Full-year 2025 PE-backed market: 7.2× average adjusted EBITDA across 297 reported transactions. Detailed public industry and size tables remain labeled through Q3.

SDE or EBITDA? Compare both Explore private EBITDA by industry + size Compare all nine size tiers Calculate adjusted EBITDA I already know my EBITDA
Under $2M value · Market Pulse2.0×–3.1×SDE
$2M–$50M · Market Pulse4.0×–5.8×EBITDA
$10M–$250M · GF Data platforms6.4×–10.3×EBITDA
POPULAR VALUE ANSWERS$1M revenueChoose type + margin$5M revenue$4M · $5.8M$10M revenue$11.6M · $12.8M$25M revenue$29M · $34M$100K profit$174K–$487K$250K profit$435K–$1.2M$500K profit$870K–$2.4M$1M profit$1.7M–$4.9M$1M EBITDA$4M · $5.8M$2M EBITDA$11.6M · $12.8M$5M EBITDA$29M · $34M$10M EBITDA$83M · $103M

US PUBLIC COMPANIES · JANUARY 2026

One industry can have two very different EBITDA markets.

Search 91 US public-company industry aggregates, then compare the private-company size references without blending them into a fake universal multiple.

Search public EBITDA multiples
PUBLIC TOTAL MARKET · EX FINANCIALS16.95×4,822 US firms
REPORTED PRIVATE SIZE REFERENCES4.0×–10.3×Lower middle market → PE platforms

EXPLORE THE MARKET

What are businesses selling for?

Median reported sale price

$350,000Service businesses · US closed-business reports

Cash flow multiple

2.61×Reported price ÷ annual SDE

Revenue multiple

0.83×Reported price ÷ annual revenue

Cash flow rank

#10Among 16 public sectors

Five-year reported-sale averages are a market reference, not a valuation of any specific company.

Open service businesses benchmarks

SPECIFIC BUSINESS BENCHMARKS

The middle 50% shows where reported completed sales landed by SDE. These are closed-sale ranges, not asking prices. Browse all 42 benchmarks →

HVAC business

Middle 50% by SDE

1.99×–3.33×
2.58× median multiple$304,309 median owner earnings
562 reported sold listings · 2021–2025
Restaurant

Middle 50% by SDE

1.34×–2.53×
1.85× median multiple$120,355 median owner earnings
8,692 reported sold listings · 2021–2025
Laundromat

Middle 50% by SDE

2.72×–4.50×
3.50× median multiple$76,560 median owner earnings
855 reported sold listings · 2021–2025
Plumbing business

Middle 50% by SDE

1.66×–3.15×
2.24× median multiple$311,598 median owner earnings
226 reported sold listings · 2021–2025

SAME EARNINGS · DIFFERENT MARKETS

$250K of SDE can imply $435K–$1.2M.

Hold owner earnings constant and compare the reported average multiples across all 26 specific business types—then enter your own SDE.

Enter SDE and compare value
Lowest$435K

Nail salons

Middle$665K

Median of 26 indications

Highest$1.2M

Car washes

SALE SPEED × VALUATION MULTIPLE

6 business types pair faster timelines with higher multiples.

Explore the market map
Fastest supported median85d
Highest average SDE multiple4.87×
Reported 2025 sales4,436

REVENUE METHOD = SDE METHOD

The crossover margin spans 17.9%–53.0% by business type.

Compare all 26
Lowest crossover17.9%
Median crossover27.0%
Highest crossover53.0%

2025 NEGOTIATION REALITY

24 of 25 business types averaged below asking.

Explore asking vs. sold
Median category ratio91%
Reported sales4,436
Median of category days169

2025 CLOSED-SALE TIMELINES

Reported category medians ranged from 85 to 250 days.

Compare time to sell
Median of category medians169
Fastest supported category85
Slowest supported category250

BROWSE BY INDUSTRY

Find your market.

Public five-year sector benchmarks. Search and compare the complete table →

Automotive3.10× SDE$500,000 medianBeauty & personal care2.12× SDE$145,000 medianConstruction2.65× SDE$750,500 medianCommunication & media2.47× SDE$365,000 medianEducation & children2.89× SDE$350,000 medianEntertainment & recreation2.81× SDE$375,000 medianFinancial services2.46× SDE$450,000 medianFood & restaurants2.27× SDE$200,000 medianHealth care2.72× SDE$441,162 medianManufacturing3.04× SDE$726,914 medianOnline & technology3.28× SDE$850,000 medianPet services2.59× SDE$226,000 medianRetail2.63× SDE$286,000 medianService businesses2.61× SDE$350,000 medianTransportation1.95× SDE$150,000 medianWholesale & distribution2.93× SDE$604,000 median

Sector data covers reported sales from Q3 2021–Q2 2026. Source and full methodology

YOUR PRIVATE VALUATION

Preparing your private valuation.

Three required steps produce your source-linked range. Deeper comparable access comes afterward and is always optional.

1AccountSave privately
2Business factsFour inputs
3Your valuationSource-linked range
YOUR NEXT ACTION

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BUSINESS VALUEPRIVATE

Private business valuation

04

How to read the numbers

Evidence first. Precision earned.

1

Closed sales are the anchor

Public sector benchmarks summarize reported completed sales. Asking prices are not silently treated as outcomes.

2

Two methods expose the spread

SDE and revenue can imply different values. We show both instead of hiding the difference inside one opaque number.

3

Private details unlock context

Owner profiles improve valuation context. Completed-sale contributions build the separate transaction evidence loop without publishing an individual deal.

Contribute a closed sale

A completed sale reveals the price one buyer paid under specific terms. This product provides market references—not a formal appraisal, guarantee, tax opinion, or offer to purchase. Bridge value to estimated cash at closing →