DIRECT ANSWER · 26 BUSINESS TYPES
How much is a business with $1 million in revenue worth?
Revenue alone cannot answer it. Public average revenue multiples imply $390,000–$1,960,000 across the 26 business types below. Add the business type and profit margin to make the comparison useful.
CHANGE THE ASSUMPTIONS
Make the $1M useful.
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Two indications. Not one invented range.
$1,000,000 × 0.60× revenue
$200,000 × 2.83× SDE
The revenue method is 6% higher here. The difference is a signal to inspect margin quality—not permission to average the figures.
ALL 26 BUSINESS TYPES
What $1M revenue implies—row by row.
Every row holds revenue at $1 million and normalized SDE at $200,000. Only the reported business-type multiples change. Sort the dollar outcomes, inspect the method gap, and open the underlying business benchmark.
26 of 26 business types
| # | Business type | Revenue multiple | $1M revenue indication | SDE multiple | $200K SDE indication | Method gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Restaurants | 0.39×reported average | $390,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.18×reported average | $436,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | SDE higher11.8% apart |
| 02 | Nail salons | 0.41×reported average | $410,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 1.74×reported average | $348,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher15.1% apart |
| 03 | Coffee shops & cafes | 0.47×reported average | $470,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.27×reported average | $454,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher3.4% apart |
| 04 | Hair salons & barbershops | 0.52×reported average | $520,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.10×reported average | $420,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher19.2% apart |
| 05 | Food trucks | 0.55×reported average | $550,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.03×reported average | $406,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher26.2% apart |
| 06 | HVAC businesses | 0.60×reported average | $600,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.83×reported average | $566,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher5.7% apart |
| 07 | Electrical & mechanical contractors | 0.63×reported average | $630,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.77×reported average | $554,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher12.1% apart |
| 08 | Home health care businesses | 0.63×reported average | $630,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.00×reported average | $600,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher4.8% apart |
| 09 | Moving & shipping businesses | 0.63×reported average | $630,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.52×reported average | $504,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher20.0% apart |
| 10 | Auto repair shops | 0.65×reported average | $650,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.85×reported average | $570,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher12.3% apart |
| 11 | Staffing agencies | 0.66×reported average | $660,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.66×reported average | $532,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher19.4% apart |
| 12 | Trucking companies | 0.66×reported average | $660,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.00×reported average | $600,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher9.1% apart |
| 13 | Plumbing businesses | 0.69×reported average | $690,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.61×reported average | $522,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher24.3% apart |
| 14 | Gyms & fitness centers | 0.70×reported average | $700,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.54×reported average | $508,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher27.4% apart |
| 15 | Cleaning businesses | 0.72×reported average | $720,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.25×reported average | $450,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher37.5% apart |
| 16 | Landscaping & yard services | 0.72×reported average | $720,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.49×reported average | $498,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher30.8% apart |
| 17 | Dental practices | 0.76×reported average | $760,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.75×reported average | $550,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher27.6% apart |
| 18 | Daycare & child care centers | 0.88×reported average | $880,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.28×reported average | $656,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher25.5% apart |
| 19 | Property management businesses | 0.92×reported average | $920,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.66×reported average | $532,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher42.2% apart |
| 20 | Pest control businesses | 1.01×reported average | $1,010,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.46×reported average | $492,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher51.3% apart |
| 21 | Websites & ecommerce businesses | 1.06×reported average | $1,060,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.37×reported average | $674,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher36.4% apart |
| 22 | Accounting & tax practices | 1.08×reported average | $1,080,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.27×reported average | $454,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher58.0% apart |
| 23 | IT & software service businesses | 1.08×reported average | $1,080,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.22×reported average | $644,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher40.4% apart |
| 24 | Laundromats & coin laundries | 1.33×reported average | $1,330,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 3.70×reported average | $740,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher44.4% apart |
| 25 | Insurance agencies | 1.52×reported average | $1,520,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 2.87×reported average | $574,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher62.2% apart |
| 26 | Car washes | 1.96×reported average | $1,960,000$1,000,000 × revenue multiple | 4.87×reported average | $974,000$200,000 × SDE multiple | Revenue higher50.3% apart |
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REUSE THE COMPARISON
Take all 26 rows with you.
Download the derived dollar scenarios, copy a source-and-method citation, or share the permanent report. This reuse kit contains public aggregates only—never a contributed profile or individual transaction.
businessvaluation.fyi. “What a $1 Million Revenue Business Could Be Worth by Business Type.” 26-category comparison using public US sold-business average revenue and SDE multiples for Q3 2021–Q2 2026, with a 20% normalized SDE-margin scenario. https://businessvaluation.fyi/what-is-a-business-worth/1-million-revenue
READ THE GAP
Why two honest methods can disagree.
A revenue multiple treats every dollar of sales alike. An SDE multiple starts with the owner earnings those sales produce. For the same $1 million of revenue, a 10% margin creates $100,000 of SDE; a 30% margin creates $300,000. That economic difference is invisible in a revenue-only headline.
MAKE THE ANSWER COMPANY-SPECIFIC
Three facts matter before the multiple.
Normalize owner earnings
Start with operating profit, then support every owner-compensation, personal, and one-time adjustment.
Calculate SDEMatch the business model
A car wash, restaurant, agency, and contractor can produce the same revenue with very different economics and buyer demand.
Compare all business typesTest transferability
Growth, recurrence, concentration, management depth, records, and owner dependence influence how a buyer treats the starting benchmark.
Assess value driversSOURCE CONTRACT
Public averages for exploration. Private evidence for your company.
The comparison uses published US sold-listing averages for 26 business types over Q3 2021–Q2 2026. Every figure preserves its original revenue or SDE metric. We do not average the methods, present an appraisal, expose a private transaction, or republish licensed comparable databases.
COMMON QUESTIONS
The $1M-revenue question, without the shortcut.
How much is a business with $1 million in revenue worth?
There is no defensible universal value from revenue alone. Across 26 reported business-type averages, the revenue-multiple indication runs from $390,000 to $1,960,000. Profit margin, business type, transferability, growth, concentration, and buyer universe determine which evidence is relevant.
Can I value a business using only revenue?
Revenue can provide a rough market cross-check when the comparison truly matches the business model. It does not show profitability, capital needs, customer concentration, owner dependence, or debt. Buyers usually reconcile it against normalized SDE or EBITDA and other evidence.
What is SDE?
Seller’s discretionary earnings is an owner-operated business earnings measure. It generally starts with operating profit and adds one working owner’s compensation plus supportable personal or one-time expenses.
Are the two numbers a valuation range?
No. They are separately calculated public-average indications from revenue and SDE methods. They should not be averaged. A large gap means the assumptions and earnings quality need more investigation.