Industry Statistics

Small business transactions jumped 49% in 2013. The full-year totals represent the first full year of extreme improvement in the business brokerage industry since levels reached record lows in mid-2009 (BizBuySell 2013 Insights Report).

Median revenue of small businesses sold rose 13% to $405,000 and median cash flow grew 9% to $97,000. Strong financial improvement, in turn, helped push the median sale price up 13% to $180,000. The median asking price was $199,000 (BizBuySell.com).

49% of owners of privately held business have done no transition planning at all (2013 State of Owners Readiness Survey sponsored by the Exit Planning Institute, PNC Bank, Grant Thornton and the Ohio Employee Ownership Center of Kent State University).

70% of M&A professionals said business owners are minimally or not prepared to sell or transfer (From a study conducted by the Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors).

95% of M&S professionals believe a business owner’s unrealistic expectations of company value are the biggest obstacle to sale or transfer (From a study conducted by the Alliance of Mergers & Acquisitions Advisors).