Sell your business without a broker — keep the 10% commission

BizByOwner gives you the legal guides, valuation tools, and document templates to sell your business yourself. On a $500,000 sale, you keep $50,000 more.

How It Works Get Your NDA

10–12%

Average broker commission

State legal guides

$50,000

Saved on a $500K sale

4–6 mo

Average sale timeline

4 steps to close your deal

Value

Calculate SDE or EBITDA and apply the right multiple for your business type.

Market

List on BizBuySell, tap your network, and screen buyers with NDAs.

Negotiate

Field offers, counter, and sign a Letter of Intent (LOI).

Close

Complete due diligence, sign the APA, and transfer the business.

See all 9 steps →

Valuation by business type

The right multiple depends on your business model. Here's what buyers pay.

Main Street Business

Restaurants, retail shops, service businesses, and local operations

Multiple1.5–3× SDE

MethodSDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings)

$50K–$2M

Professional Practice

Medical, dental, legal, accounting, and veterinary practices

Multiple0.5–1.5× annual revenue or 2–4× EBITDA

MethodGoodwill + Asset Value

$200K–$5M

E-commerce / Online Business

Direct-to-consumer online stores, Amazon FBA, Shopify businesses

Multiple2–4× annual revenue or 3–5× SDE

MethodRevenue multiple or SDE multiple

$100K–$10M

SaaS / Software

Subscription software, SaaS platforms, and recurring-revenue tech businesses

Multiple5–15× ARR

MethodARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) multiple

$500K–$50M+

Manufacturing

Production facilities, fabrication shops, and industrial operations

Multiple3–5× EBITDA

MethodEBITDA multiple

$500K–$20M

Franchise

Franchise unit resales under an existing franchise system

Multiple1.5–3× SDE (franchisor-approved)

MethodSDE multiple (similar to Main Street)

$100K–$3M

Learn how to value your business →

Non-compete enforceability by state

Your non-compete with the buyer is only as strong as your state's courts allow.

Strong enforcementModerate / reasonableness testLimited / near-banned

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

View all 50 state guides →

Also from ByOwnerHub

Related guides for business owners doing it themselves.

🏢LLC Hub

Need to structure the deal properly? Form the LLC yourself.

™️Trademark Hub

Selling includes your brand — protect it or transfer it.

🔨Lien Hub

Outstanding contractor debt on the business? File the lien.

🏠FSBO Hub

Own the building too? Sell the real estate yourself.

Services we recommend

Vetted tools and services for every stage of your sale.

LendingTree Business

SBA loans for buyers — up to $5M

Help buyers get SBA 7(a) financing to purchase your business.

Get SBA Rates

LegalZoom

NDA, LOI & Asset Purchase Agreements

Attorney-reviewed templates for every stage of the sale process.

Get Documents

BizBuySell

List your business for sale

The largest business-for-sale marketplace. Reach 1M+ monthly visitors.

List Your Business

Nolo

Plain-English legal guides

Nolo's selling-a-business resources explain every legal step.

Read the Guide

Get your NDA before you market your business

Never share financials with a prospective buyer before they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. We'll show you exactly what it must include — plus a template checklist you can download.

See NDA Requirements