How to value a business, by industry
Every guide below carries real multiples from closed small-business transactions, adjusted for business size, with a worked example. Pick the industry closest to the subject; if nothing matches exactly, the nearest neighbor plus the income methods beats a bad comp.
Automotive and Boat
- Auto repair and service2.85× SDE
- Car dealerships2.98× SDE
- Car washes4.87× SDE
- Equipment rental and dealers3.17× SDE
- Gas stations3.78× SDE
- Junk and salvage yards4.11× SDE
- Marine and boat services and dealers2.94× SDE
- Towing companies3.28× SDE
- Truck stops3.69× SDE
Beauty and Personal Care
- Hair salons and barber shops2.1× SDE
- Massage businesses2.21× SDE
- Nail salons1.74× SDE
- Spas2.31× SDE
- Tanning salons2.24× SDE
Building and Construction
- Building material and hardware stores3.28× SDE
- Concrete contractors2.54× SDE
- Electrical and mechanical contracting2.77× SDE
- Heavy construction2.78× SDE
- HVAC2.83× SDE
- Plumbing2.61× SDE
Communication and Media
- Magazines and newspapers2.23× SDE
- Production companies2.71× SDE
Construction
Education and Children
- Day care and child care3.28× SDE
- Preschools3.09× SDE
- Schools2.63× SDE
Entertainment and Recreation
- Art galleries2.07× SDE
- Banquet halls2.75× SDE
- Bowling alleys4.07× SDE
- Casinos2.89× SDE
- Golf courses and services3.03× SDE
- Marinas and fishing3.83× SDE
- Nightclubs and theaters3.83× SDE
Financial Services
- Accounting and tax practices2.27× SDE
- Banking and loan services2.54× SDE
- Check cashing1.76× SDE
- Insurance agencies2.87× SDE
Food and Restaurants
- Bakeries2.44× SDE
- Bars, pubs and taverns2.76× SDE
- Breweries3.34× SDE
- Coffee shops and cafes2.27× SDE
- Donut shops2.02× SDE
- Food trucks2.03× SDE
- Health food and nutrition2.5× SDE
- Ice cream and frozen yogurt2.48× SDE
- Juice bars2.16× SDE
- Restaurants2.18× SDE
Health Care
Health Care and Fitness
- Assisted living and nursing homes4.3× SDE
- Dance, Pilates and yoga studios2.16× SDE
- Dental practices2.75× SDE
- Gyms and fitness centers2.54× SDE
- Home health care3× SDE
- Medical practices2.39× SDE
Manufacturing
- Auto, boat and aircraft manufacturers3.44× SDE
- Chemical product manufacturers3.36× SDE
- Clothing and fabric manufacturers2.76× SDE
- Electronic and electrical equipment manufacturers3.03× SDE
- Energy and petroleum production3.44× SDE
- Fabricated structural metal manufacturer
- Food product manufacturers2.7× SDE
- Furniture and fixture manufacturers2.78× SDE
- Glass, stone and concrete manufacturers2.86× SDE
- Industrial and commercial machinery manufacturers3.56× SDE
- Lumber and wood product manufacturers3.29× SDE
- Machine shops and tool manufacturers3.51× SDE
- Medical device and product manufacturers3.01× SDE
- Metal product manufacturers3.27× SDE
- Packaging manufacturers2.85× SDE
- Paper manufacturers and printing2.59× SDE
- Rubber and plastic product manufacturers4.24× SDE
- Sign manufacturers2.61× SDE
Online and Technology
- Cell phone and computer repair1.88× SDE
- Graphic and web design2.72× SDE
- IT and software services3.22× SDE
- Software and app companies3.25× SDE
- Websites and ecommerce3.37× SDE
Pet Services
- Dog daycare and boarding3.27× SDE
- Pet grooming2.3× SDE
- Pet stores and supply2.63× SDE
Real Estate & Rental
Retail
- Bike shops2.65× SDE
- Clothing and accessory stores2.32× SDE
- Convenience stores2.41× SDE
- Dollar stores1.46× SDE
- Flower shops2.04× SDE
- Furniture and furnishings stores2.82× SDE
- Grocery stores and supermarkets2.68× SDE
- Jewelry stores2.13× SDE
- Liquor stores3.39× SDE
- Nursery and garden centers3.28× SDE
- Pawn shops2.63× SDE
- Pharmacies2.85× SDE
- Smoke shops2× SDE
- Vending machine businesses2.3× SDE
Service Businesses
- Architecture and engineering2.63× SDE
- Catering2.07× SDE
- Cleaning services2.25× SDE
- Commercial laundry2.94× SDE
- Dry cleaners2.11× SDE
- Funeral homes4.28× SDE
- Landscaping and yard services2.49× SDE
- Laundromats and coin laundry3.7× SDE
- Legal services and law firms1.97× SDE
- Locksmiths2.35× SDE
- Medical billing3.92× SDE
- Pest control2.46× SDE
- Property management2.66× SDE
- Security services2.86× SDE
- Staffing agencies2.66× SDE
- Waste management and recycling3.25× SDE
Transportation and Storage
- Delivery, freight and service routes1.75× SDE
- Limo and passenger transportation2.49× SDE
- Moving and shipping2.52× SDE
- Storage facilities and warehouses3.41× SDE
- Trucking companies3× SDE
Wholesale and Distributors
- Durable goods wholesalers3.05× SDE
- Nondurable goods wholesalers2.89× SDE