Business Sales Decline in Tough Economy

In the midst of possibly the worst economic downturn of our time, it’s safe to say that small business owners across the country are looking for answers on how tough times are affecting the value of their businesses. Should owners hold onto their companies until conditions improve or list them for sale now?

Business owners struggling with this decision need to consider what is happening specifically in the small business economy. A report by BizBuySell.com tracking the health of small business revealed -- as one might expect -- a decline in business-for-sale transactions and valuations. Additionally, the number of closed transactions reported in the first quarter decreased by 36 percent as compared to the same time period in 2008.

The value metrics for businesses are also dropping. By dividing the selling price of a business by its annual revenue or cash flow, we can determine how small businesses are faring in the current economic environment. Revenue multiples for closed transactions dropped 5.5 percent to .69 in the first quarter of 2009, while cash flow multiples fell 3.8 percent to 2.69. Finally, the median business sale price for closed transactions decreased 17.3 percent to $165,500. It makes sense that valuation multiples are going down. Buyers are hesitant to pay typical asking prices for a business because of less certainty that the business will bring in adequate revenues and cash flows in the future.

Buyers are also facing difficulty accessing the capital necessary for business purchases. Traditional avenues of securing capital such as SBA-backed loans have become more limited, and with recent stock market declines, fewer buyers have the funds necessary to buy without a loan. This means fewer buyers are able to bid on most businesses, creating less upward pricing pressure.

That is not to say that buyers aren’t out there. Economic conditions have made it more difficult to close deals; however, business brokers are reporting a record number of buyer inquiries as a result of the huge number of corporate layoffs over the last six to nine months. Slow closing deals notwithstanding, people are looking at entrepreneurship as an alternative to the traditional job search. Selling prices are expected to continue to decline, which could mean that in the near future, credit will slowly become more available to aspiring buyers. This should improve market conditions for small business transactions over the next few quarters.