Free Valuation Tool

What is your business
actually worth?

A dozen quick dropdowns. About two minutes. A ballpark range built from real transaction multiples in your industry, and an honest conversation if you want one.

Step 1 of 4

The basics

Industry

State

Subsector (this is what really narrows the range)

Annual Revenue

Annual Profit (EBITDA or SDE) (blank if unsure)

Profit means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, plus any owner salary above market. A rough number is fine, and if you leave it blank, we’ll estimate from typical margins in your industry.

Company Website (optional, helps us give you a sharper read)

Step 2 of 4

A few quick details

These move your multiple up or down. Honest answers get honest numbers.

How involved are you day to day?

Revenue over the last few years?

Your largest customer is…

What kind of revenue?

Step 3 of 4

Where should we send the full breakdown?

Your Name

Phone (optional)

Your range appears instantly on the next screen. Every inquiry is confidential, and the only people who will ever see it are Jack and Connor.

Estimated Value Range

$0–$0

ConservativeWith a competitive process

Buyers active in your industry

Illustrative examples drawn from publicly reported acquisition activity. These firms are not affiliated with Salt Creek Advisory and this is not an offer. A real process typically surfaces dozens of qualified buyers, including private equity platforms and family offices active in your region.

A calculator can see eight inputs. Buyers look at a hundred. This range is a starting point. The only way to know what your business is really worth is a conversation with someone who has sat on the buyer’s side of the table. It’s free, it’s confidential, and it’s with the two people whose names are on the firm. We personally review every submission, including your website.

Schedule With Jack & Connor Email Us This Estimate →

This is a directional estimate based on industry transaction multiples, not a formal valuation or an offer. Real outcomes depend on dozens of factors a tool cannot see, and most of all on whether buyers compete for your business. We treat your information as confidential and never share it.

Direct Answer

Most lower middle market businesses are valued as a multiple of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), adjusted for owner add-backs. The tool above applies an industry-specific margin assumption to your revenue to estimate EBITDA, then adjusts that up or down based on owner dependency, growth trajectory, customer concentration, and revenue recurrence, the same factors buyers underwrite in real diligence. The resulting range reflects publicly known transaction multiples for your industry, not a guess.

Who Is Actively Buying Right Now

Buyer demand varies significantly by industry. Here is a sample of named, active acquirers in three of our core sectors, based on publicly reported transaction activity:

Early Childhood Education: Cadence Education (PE-backed national platform with 300+ schools across 30 states; has acquired more than 100 preschools), KinderCare Learning Companies, and Busy Bees / BrightPath (backed by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan).
Business Services: Springdale Industries (375+ partner businesses nationwide, buys majority stakes and keeps management in place), Alpine Investors (backs Apex, Ascend, Trilon, and Evergreen), and Shore Capital Partners (ranked #1 in U.S. private equity deal volume 2015–2024 per PitchBook).
Manufacturing / Industrials: Marmon Holdings, a Berkshire Hathaway company and long-time home for family-owned niche manufacturers with more than 100 autonomous businesses, plus a deep field of PE-backed manufacturing platforms actively acquiring precision, specialty, and contract manufacturers.

Answer the questions above to see buyer activity specific to your industry.

Valuation Tool FAQ

How accurate is this estimate?

It is a directional starting point, not a formal valuation. A calculator can weigh eight inputs; a real buyer evaluates a hundred. Use this range to get oriented, then talk to us for a number grounded in your actual financials and buyer landscape.

What multiple is my industry trading at?

Multiples vary by industry, size, growth, and buyer competition, roughly 3x to 7x EBITDA for most lower middle market businesses in our $5 million to $75 million revenue range, with recurring-revenue and technology-enabled businesses often trading higher. The tool above applies the specific multiple range for your selected industry.

Is this a real valuation I can use with a buyer?

No. This is a directional estimate for planning purposes, not a formal valuation, fairness opinion, or offer. A real valuation requires a review of your actual financial statements and a conversation about your business. That conversation is free.

Is my information kept confidential?

Yes. We treat every submission as confidential and never share it. Jack and Connor personally review each one.