What your business is worth, explained

How to Value a Business: The Five Methods in Plain English

A plain-English guide to the five ways businesses get valued, why buyers favor one, and how to sanity check any number you are given.

SDE vs EBITDA: Which One Buyers Actually Use

SDE or EBITDA? Which profit number buyers use to price your business, how they relate, and why mixing them up costs owners real money.

What Is SDE? Seller's Discretionary Earnings Explained

SDE meaning, the formula, a worked example, and why buyers use it to price small, owner-run businesses.

The Business Valuation Formula (With Worked Examples)

The core business valuation formula, which earnings figure to use, typical multiples by industry, and three fully worked examples.

Business Valuation Multiples by Industry

Typical valuation multiple ranges by industry, from SDE and EBITDA multiples to revenue and AUM-based pricing, and how to sanity-check a quote.

Do You Need a Business Valuation 'Near Me'?

Why business valuations are usually done from financial documents, not site visits, and when a local appraiser genuinely matters.

How Much Does a Business Appraisal Cost?

What a certified business appraisal typically costs, what drives the fee, and when a free valuation range is the smarter starting point.

What a Business Broker Charges, and When It Is Worth It

A plain-English breakdown of broker commissions, retainers, and listing agreements, and how to know if hiring one makes sense for your sale.

The Process of Selling a Business, Step by Step

A clear, step-by-step walkthrough of how a small business sale actually goes, from deciding to sell through closing day and the transition.

How to Prepare Your Business for Sale

A 12-24 month plan to clean up financials, cut owner dependence, and raise your business value before you sell.

Should I Sell My Business? An Honest Self-Assessment

Good and bad reasons to sell, business vs personal readiness, signs it's not time yet, and the one number worth checking first.

How to Sell Your Business Fast (Without Giving It Away)

A realistic guide to speeding up a business sale without slashing your price, plus a 30-day prep plan and red flags to watch for.

What Is a Quality of Earnings Report?

What a quality of earnings report is, who pays for it, sell-side vs buy-side, and how it can change a deal's price before closing.

Rule of Thumb Business Valuation: How It Works and Where It Fails

How industry rules of thumb value a business, how they relate to SDE and EBITDA multiples, and why they are only ever a starting point.

How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business?

A realistic stage-by-stage timeline for selling a small business, from preparation through closing, and what speeds it up or slows it down.

What Goes Into a Business Purchase Agreement?

Asset vs stock purchase, key clauses, reps and warranties, indemnities, escrow, and non-competes in a business purchase agreement.

What Is an Earnout in a Business Sale?

How earnouts work in small business sales, typical structures, the risks sellers face, and how to negotiate protective terms before you sign.

What Is a Business Valuation Report?

What a formal business valuation report contains, the three levels of service, typical cost ranges, and when you actually need one versus a calculator estimate.

Exit Planning for Business Owners

What exit planning really means, the exit options available, knowing your number, and how to prepare a business to sell for more.

Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale: What's the Difference?

What asset sales and stock sales actually mean, who prefers which, what happens to liabilities and contracts, and why most small deals are asset sales.

Seller Financing in a Business Sale: How It Works

What a seller note is, why buyers ask for one, typical terms, standby with SBA loans, collateral, default risk, and when a seller should say no.

The NDA and Letter of Intent: What They Do and Don't Do

What a confidentiality agreement actually protects, when to share financials, what an LOI should contain, what's binding, and how to reduce the risk of a retrade.

Working Capital and Normalized Earnings: What Moves the Price

How add-backs create normalized earnings, how the working capital peg and true-up work in a cash-free debt-free deal, and where sellers quietly lose money.

Capital Gains Tax When Selling a Business

How capital gains and ordinary income treatment, purchase price allocation, entity type, and deal structure combine to shape what a business seller actually keeps after tax.

Business Goodwill Valuation: What It Is and How It Works

What goodwill really is, how it shows up in a business valuation, personal vs. enterprise goodwill, and how to build transferable goodwill before a sale.

Business Broker vs. Selling Your Business Yourself

What a broker does week to week, when doing it yourself genuinely works, the hidden costs of DIY, and a framework for deciding which path fits your sale.

Who Buys Small Businesses? A Guide to Your Real Options

The seven types of buyer for a small business, what each one pays for, how they finance a deal, how long they take, and how to tell a serious buyer from a tire-kicker.

Business Valuation Services and Appraisers, Explained

What people actually mean by 'business valuation services near me,' what appraiser credentials mean, and when you truly need a certified appraisal.

Small Business Valuation Calculator: How It Works and How to Use One

What a business valuation calculator can and cannot tell you, which inputs actually move the number, why the output is a range, and how it compares to a broker opinion or formal appraisal.

Business Valuation Methods: How to Calculate What a Business Is Worth

The three ways businesses get valued — earnings multiples, comparable sales, and asset value — and a step-by-step method owners can actually follow.

How to Calculate Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE)

A line-by-line walkthrough of calculating seller's discretionary earnings: the standard add-backs, the ones buyers reject, multiple-owner situations, and how to document it all for a lender.

EBITDA Multiples Explained: How to Work Out Which One Applies to Your Business

How to calculate an EBITDA multiple both ways, adjusted versus reported EBITDA, why multiples rise with size, and the risk factors that push a business up or down its industry band.

What Is a Business Appraisal?

What a business appraisal is, when a formal one is actually required, how it differs from a broker opinion or an online estimate, and what to expect from the process.

How to Sell My Business: The Complete Owner's Walkthrough

A practical, end-to-end walkthrough of selling a business: timing, valuation, cleanup, finding buyers, due diligence, deal structure, and life after closing.

How Much Can I Sell My Business For?

Why the honest answer is a range, not a number: the earnings measure buyers use, typical multiple bands, the gap between asking price and cash in your pocket, and how to test your number against real buyer interest.

Businesses That Buy Businesses: How to Get in Front of Them and What They'll Pay

How roll-ups, holding companies, strategic acquirers, search funds, family offices and MBO teams actually value and structure a deal, and how to approach each one without damaging confidentiality.

Finding a Business Broker Near You

How to search for a business broker in your area, what to check before hiring one, typical fee structures, and when a broker is not the right fit.

Businesses for Sale Near Me: A Buyer's Guide to Finding and Evaluating a Deal

Where local businesses for sale actually surface, why the best deals are often never listed, how to define your buy box, and how to value, finance, and diligence a purchase.

How to Buy a Small Business

A plain-English guide to buying a small business: where to look, how to value what you find, what diligence to run, how deals are structured and what to expect at closing.

Using an SBA Loan to Buy a Business

How SBA 7(a) acquisition loans work when buying a business — down payment, terms, what lenders require, business appraisals and why deals get declined.

The Best Businesses to Buy

What separates a good business to buy from a bad one — recurring revenue, owner independence, route density, contracts, and the categories buyers keep coming back to.

Businesses for Sale by Owner: What Buyers Should Know

What buying a business directly from an owner, with no broker in the middle, actually involves: where these deals surface, the diligence burden, valuing an owner-priced business, and the paperwork you still need.

The SBA 7(a) Acquisition Loan, and Buying With Little Money Down

How the SBA 7(a) program actually finances a business purchase, what low-injection structures really look like, and why 'no money down' is mostly a myth.

How to Sell an Insurance Book of Business

What a P&C, health or life book of business sells for, how buyers value commission income, and how the money is actually paid out.

How Much Do Insurance Agencies Make? Revenue, Margins and Value

Typical insurance agency revenue, profit margins and take-home pay by size, plus how earnings translate into what an agency is worth.

What Is My Life Insurance Book of Business Worth?

How life and annuity books are valued — trail commissions, persistency, carrier mix, transferability and the multiples buyers actually pay.

What Is My Medicare Book of Business Worth?

How Medicare Advantage, Med Supp and ACA books are valued — renewal multiples, retention, carrier approval and payout structures explained.

How to Sell an RIA or Wealth Management Practice

How RIA and wealth management practices are valued and sold, from AUM multiples to retention-based payouts and realistic timelines.

How to Sell an Accounting Practice

A plain-English guide to pricing, structuring and closing the sale of an accounting or tax practice, with realistic multiples and timelines.

How to Sell a Real Estate Brokerage

How real estate brokerages are valued, why multiples run roughly 2.5x to 5x adjusted EBITDA, and what buyers check before making an offer.

How to Sell a Law Firm

How law firm valuation works, what buyers pay for a practice, and how to structure a sale — including the ethics rules you need to check first.

What Is My Mortgage or Title Company Worth?

How mortgage brokerages, mortgage banks and title companies are valued — earnings normalisation, licensing, producer retention and typical deal terms.

How to Sell a Dental Practice

How dental practices are valued and sold, from adjusted profit and buyer types to deal structure, timeline, and common mistakes.

What Is My Medical Practice Worth?

How medical practices are valued, what multiple applies to your adjusted profit, and what raises or kills your sale price.

How to Sell a Veterinary Practice

How veterinary practices are valued and sold, what drives the multiple from 2.5x to 8x, and how corporate and private buyer offers differ.

How to Sell a Home Health Agency

How home health and home care agencies are valued, why licensure and payer mix matter so much, and the steps to prepare before you go to market.

How to Sell a Physical Therapy Practice

How physical therapy practices are valued, what drives the multiple from 2x to 6x, and the steps to prepare a PT clinic for sale.

How to Sell a Chiropractic Practice

How chiropractic practices are valued, why owner-dependence caps the price, and what it takes to sell for a multiple of SDE or EBITDA.

How to Sell an Optometry Practice

How optometry practices are valued and sold, from normalizing owner pay to optical retail mix, insurance reimbursement, and typical buyer types.

How to Sell an Independent Pharmacy

How independent pharmacies are priced on EBITDA plus inventory, what drives the multiple from 3x to 5x, and what buyers look at before closing.

What Is My Assisted Living Facility Worth?

How assisted living facilities, memory care and residential care homes are valued — census, private pay mix, licensing and real estate explained in plain English.

What Is My Medical Billing Company Worth?

How medical billing and revenue cycle companies are valued — client retention, contract terms, payer mix and the multiples buyers pay. Also covers urgent care, imaging and hospice.

What Is My HVAC Business Worth?

How HVAC companies are valued, what drives the multiple from 3.5x to 7x EBITDA, and how to estimate what buyers would pay for yours.

What Is My Plumbing Business Worth?

See how plumbing businesses are valued, typical multiples, what raises or kills price, and how a sale actually works, in plain English.

What Is My Electrical Business Worth?

How electrical contracting companies are valued, what drives the multiple from 2.5x to 6.5x, and how licensing, backlog, and crews affect your price.

What Is My Landscaping Business Worth?

How landscaping companies are valued, what drives the multiple from 2x to 5x, and how contracts, crews, and equipment affect your price.

What Is My Roofing Business Worth?

How roofing companies are valued, what drives the multiple from 2.5x to 6x, and how storm work, licensing, and crews affect your price.

What Is My Pest Control Business Worth?

How pest control businesses are valued, why recurring service agreements drive premium multiples, and what pushes the 3.5x to 6x SDE range up or down.

What Is My Alarm Monitoring Business Worth?

How security and alarm monitoring companies are valued, why RMR multiples and SDE multiples tell the same story, and what drives the 5x to 9x range.

What Is My Painting Business Worth?

How painting contractors are valued, why commercial and repeat residential work earn higher multiples, and what drives the 2.5x to 4.5x SDE range.

What Is My Flooring Business Worth?

How flooring retailers and installation contractors are valued, what drives the 2.5x to 4.5x SDE range, and how inventory and margins factor into price.

What Is My Pool Service Business Worth?

How pool cleaning and maintenance routes are valued, the per-account rule of thumb, and what drives the 3x to 5x SDE range for small operators.

What Is My Tree Service Business Worth?

How tree service and snow removal companies are valued, why crew retention and recurring contracts matter, and what drives the 2.5x to 4.5x SDE range.

What Is My Septic or Waste Business Worth?

How septic service, waste hauling and propane companies are valued — route density, recurring customers, permits, tanks and fleet condition explained.

What Is My Locksmith or Repair Business Worth?

How locksmith, appliance repair and glass companies are valued — commercial accounts, technician retention, licensing and the multiples buyers actually pay.

How to Sell a Restaurant

How restaurants are priced, why the lease matters as much as earnings, and the real steps to sell yours without spooking staff or customers.

How to Sell a Trucking Company

How trucking companies are valued, what raises or kills the price, and the realistic process for selling your fleet and getting paid.

How to Sell an Ecommerce Business

How ecommerce businesses are valued, what raises or kills the price, and the realistic timeline to sell your Shopify or Amazon store.

How to Sell a Daycare or Childcare Center

How daycare and childcare centers are valued, why enrollment and licensed capacity drive the multiple, and how to prepare a center for sale.

How to Sell a Gas Station

How to value and sell a gas station: separating business from real estate, fuel margins, supply contracts, environmental issues, and the sale process.

How to Sell a Farm or Agricultural Business

How farms are valued and sold, from per-acre land value and equipment to the operating business multiple, leases, and taxes to plan for.

What Is a Laundromat Worth?

How laundromats are valued, why multiples run roughly 3 to 5 times SDE, and how equipment age, lease terms and utility costs change the price.

What Is a Car Wash Worth?

How car washes are valued, why express tunnels with membership clubs earn the highest multiples, and how real estate is priced separately from the business.

What Is a Self-Storage Facility Worth?

How self-storage is valued using cap rates on net operating income, cross-checked against earnings multiples, and what really moves the price.

How to Sell a Liquor Store

How liquor stores are valued, why inventory is priced separately, and how licensing, lease terms and margin mix change what buyers will pay.

What Is My Auto Repair Shop Worth?

How mechanic shops are valued, what moves the multiple between roughly 2.5x and 4.5x, and what buyers look at first.

What Is a Vending Machine Business Worth?

How vending and ATM routes are valued, why most sell for 2 to 3.5 times SDE, and how location contracts, commissions and machine age drive the price.

How to Sell a Salon or Spa

How hair salons, day spas and med spas are valued, what moves the multiple between roughly 1.5x and 4x, and what buyers look at first.

What Is My Cleaning Business Worth?

How cleaning and janitorial businesses are valued, why commercial contracts earn higher multiples than residential work, and what drives the 2.5x to 5.5x range.

How to Sell a SaaS Business

How SaaS and software companies are priced, when buyers use a multiple of ARR versus SDE or EBITDA, and the metrics that move your multiple.

How to Sell a Construction Company

Learn how construction company valuation works, who buys construction firms, and how to prepare your business for sale.

How to Sell a Towing Company

How towing companies are valued, what drives price, and how to prepare your towing company for sale.

What Is My Manufacturing Business Worth?

How manufacturers and machine shops are valued, what drives the multiple, and how to prepare before you sell.

What Is My Convenience Store Worth?

How convenience store valuation works, what drives price, and what to prepare before you list your convenience store for sale.

How to Sell a Car Dealership

How car dealership valuation works, what drives blue sky, franchise approval, deal structure and records to prepare before you sell.

What Is My Property Management Company Worth?

How property management company valuations work, the per-door and fee-multiple shortcuts buyers use, and what actually moves the price.

How to Sell a Funeral Home

How funeral homes are valued and sold: call volume, cremation mix, preneed trusts, real estate, and consolidator vs. independent buyers.

What Is My Gym Worth?

How gyms and fitness studios are valued, what buyers check in your membership numbers, and how to prepare before you sell.

How to Sell a Franchise Business

How franchise resales are valued, why the franchisor's approval and fees matter, and what drives the 2x to 4x SDE range for existing franchisees.

What Is My Bakery or Coffee Shop Worth?

How bakeries, coffee shops and food trucks are valued, why the lease and equipment matter as much as profit, and what drives the 2x to 3.5x SDE range.

How to Sell a Marketing Agency

How marketing and advertising agencies are valued, why retainer revenue and client tenure drive the multiple, and what a sale process typically involves.

How to Sell a Staffing Agency

How staffing and recruiting agencies are valued, why gross profit matters more than billings, and what drives the 3x to 5.5x SDE/EBITDA range.

How to Sell an IT Services or MSP Business

How IT services and managed service provider businesses are valued, why recurring MRR beats break-fix work, and what drives the 4x to 7x SDE/EBITDA range.

What Is My Garden Center Worth?

How nurseries and garden centers are valued, why real estate is usually priced separately from the operating business, and what drives the 2.5x to 4x SDE range.

What Is My Food Truck Worth?

How food trucks are valued, why the truck and equipment often set the floor, and what pushes a business toward the 1.5x to 2.75x SDE range.

What Is My RV Park or Campground Worth?

How RV parks and campgrounds are valued using cap rates and net operating income, and what drives the roughly 7x to 11x NOI range.

How to Sell a Bar or Nightclub

How bars and nightclubs are valued, why the liquor license and lease often matter more than earnings, and what buyers look for.

What Is My Hotel or Motel Worth?

How hotels, motels and B&Bs are valued using cap rates and per-key pricing, and what drives value up or down before you sell.

What Is My Golf Course Worth?

How golf courses are valued, why land and development value can dominate the price, and what drives the 5x to 8x EBITDA operating multiple.

What Is My Bowling Alley or Movie Theater Worth?

How bowling alleys and movie theaters are valued, why the real estate matters as much as the operation, and what drives the 3x to 5x EBITDA range.

How to Sell a Mobile Home Park

How mobile home park value is set using net operating income and cap rate, what buyers pay for, and how to prepare a park for sale.

What Is My Marina Worth?

How marinas and boatyards are valued, why waterfront land often exceeds the operating business value, and what drives the 6x to 10x EBITDA range.

What Is My Winery or Brewery Worth?

How wineries and breweries are valued using EBITDA multiples and sum-of-the-parts, and what drives value in tasting rooms, clubs, and brand.

What Is My Tire Shop or Auto Body Shop Worth?

How tire retailers and collision repair shops are valued, why insurer repair programs and certifications matter, and typical multiples of 2.5x to 4x SDE.

What Is My Event Venue Worth?

How wedding venues, banquet halls and catering companies are valued — booking calendars, deposits, the property question and the multiples buyers pay.

What Is My Equipment Rental Business Worth?

How equipment and tool rental businesses are valued — fleet age, utilisation, rental revenue mix and why the equipment sets a floor under the price.

How to Sell a Preschool or Private School

How preschools, private schools and tutoring businesses are valued and sold — enrolment, licensing, staff ratios, property and what buyers pay.

How to Sell a Freight Brokerage

How freight brokerages, courier and medical transport companies are valued and sold — gross margin, shipper retention, carrier network, authority and contracts.

How to Sell a Moving Company

How moving companies and home inspection businesses are valued and sold — commercial accounts, van line affiliation, fleet, storage income and claims history.

What Is My ATM or Vending Route Worth?

How ATM routes and vending or amusement routes are valued, why location contracts are the real asset being sold, and the typical 2x to 3.5x SDE range.

What Is My Boat Dealership Worth?

How boat dealerships are valued: blue-sky multiples of 3x to 5x adjusted earnings, plus inventory, parts and equipment, plus real estate valued separately.

What Is My Powersports Dealership Worth?

How motorcycle, ATV/UTV, snowmobile and PWC dealerships are valued: goodwill multiples, inventory, floorplan, seasonality, F&I and deal structure.

What Is My Tattoo Studio Worth?

How tattoo shops for sale are actually valued, why artist-dependent shops sell for close to asset value, and what pushes a booth-rent studio toward the higher end of the range.

What Is My Sign or Print Shop Worth?

How sign companies and print shops are valued, why maintenance contracts and national accounts push multiples higher, and what typically sells at 2.5x to 4x SDE.

What Is My Welding or Fabrication Shop Worth?

How custom fabrication and machine/weld shops are valued, what buyers actually look at, and how to prepare before you sell.

What Is My Food Distribution Business Worth?

How wholesale food and beverage distributors are valued — margin per case, route density, customer mix, distribution rights, fleet and working capital explained.

What Is My Driving School Worth?

How teen driver education schools and CDL/truck driving schools are valued — licensing, testing authority, contracts, fleet and typical multiples for a driving school for sale.