All industry multiples

BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE · AUGUST 2026 MARKET DATA

How much is your nail salon worth?

Apply the reported 1.74× SDE and 0.41× revenue averages to your numbers, then inspect what makes one nail salon differ from another.

Cash flow multiple

1.74×Price ÷ seller’s discretionary earnings

Revenue multiple

0.41×Price ÷ annual gross revenue

Versus Beauty & personal care

-18%Cash-flow multiple versus the 2.12× broad-sector average

Versus all businesses

-33%Cash-flow multiple versus 2.58× overall

ASKING VS. CLOSED SALE · FULL YEAR 2025

Reported nail salon deals averaged 86% of asking.

Based on 73 reported sales. Use the ratio to understand category-level negotiation—not as a forecast for one transaction.

Average sale / ask86%Average transaction-level ratio
Median asking price$210,000Separate category median
Median closed price$152,500Separate category median
Median time on market118 days73 reported sales

Do not subtract the two medians. Median asking and sale prices may describe different transactions. The source's average sale-to-ask ratio is the supported negotiation measure.

COMPANY-SPECIFIC DILIGENCE

What buyers examine beyond the average.

These factors help explain why two businesses in the same category can sell at different multiples. They are diligence questions—not automatic percentage adjustments.

01Technician retention and compensation model
02Repeat bookings and owner-independent clientele
03Lease quality, licensing, and salon condition

WORKED MARKET REFERENCE

How the two common methods compare

For an example nail salon with $1,000,000 in annual revenue and $250,000 in SDE:

SDE method$435,000$250,000 × 1.74
Revenue method$410,000$1,000,000 × 0.41

The indications can differ because margins vary. A personalized market reference should use the company’s actual revenue and normalized SDE, then consider transferability and deal terms separately.

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CITATION PREVIEW

Nail salon valuation benchmark: 1.74× SDE, 0.41× revenue, and $149,000 median reported sale price. Reported US closed-business aggregates from BizBuySell, Q3 2021–Q2 2026. Analysis and source notes: https://businessvaluation.fyi/business-valuation/nail-salon?utm_source=shared_benchmark&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=industry_benchmark

COMMON QUESTIONS

Reading this nail salon benchmark

How much is my nail salon worth?

A company-specific answer requires normalized earnings, revenue, and its operating risks. As a public starting point, reported sales in this category average 1.74× seller’s discretionary earnings and 0.41× annual revenue. The reported median sale price is $149,000.

What percentage of asking do reported nail salon sales achieve?

Across 73 reported 2025 sales, the source reports an average sale-to-ask ratio of 86%. That is an average of transaction-level ratios, not a promise that every seller discounted by the same amount.

How long do reported nail salon sales take?

The reported median was 118 days on market during 2025. Preparation, pricing, buyer financing, diligence, lease transfer, and deal terms can make an individual sale faster or slower.

How should I use the 1.74× multiple?

Apply it first to normalized SDE, not tax-return profit without review. Then cross-check the revenue method and examine the business-specific risks a buyer would inherit.

Does this tell me exactly what my nail salon is worth?

No. It is a reported-sale average, not an appraisal or offer. Company size, margins, growth, transferability, assets, liabilities, geography, and deal terms can produce a different outcome.

Source and scope

Public aggregates reported by BizBuySell for closed US sales of nail salons. The headline multiples cover Q3 2021–Q2 2026; asking-price, sale-price, and time-on-market metrics cover the full 2025 calendar year. These are useful relative indicators, not a formal appraisal, offer, or complete census.