Q1 2009 Costs to Buy a Business
How Much Is My Schenectady Business Worth?
We just received the latest Schenectady, New York business-for-sale statistics.
Q1 2009 Business Valuations in Schenectady, NY
According to statistics issued by BizBuySell.com, Schenectady business-for-sale listings in Q1 2009 had a median asking price of $444,950.
That compares to a median ask price of $479,000 in Q1 2008. One interpretation of the lower median asking price is that Schenectady, NY sellers are dropping their asking prices in light of market conditions.
To be clear, this is the median asking price for a business. If you want to buy a business, you may be able to buy a Schenectady company for much less. However, some Schenectady businesses may be selling for much more.
Also, this is the asking price for a Schenectady business. When an entrepreneur lists a business for sale, they typically set a price that ends up being more than the eventual sale price. A sale-to-ask ratio typically might be between 0.85 and 0.90, but of course it varies considerably. So, a business listed for $100,000 might sell for between $85,000 and $90,000.
Number of Schenectady Businesses for Sale in the Dataset
The study data comprised 70 listings in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area. Many of the businesses in the dataset are outside of Schenectady, but they are in the area and so are probably representative of Schenectady business valuations.
One year ago, in Q1 2008, the BizBuySell.com dataset for Schenectady spanned 62 listings. In a market where you would think fewer business owners would be selling it's a bit surprising to see more Schenectady business-for-sale listings.
Schenectady, NY Q1 2009 Revenue Multiples
In the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area, small businesses will usually sell for 1.92 times the selling company's revenues. That was the mean revenue multiple for Q1 2009 in this metro area.
In other words, a firm with revenues of $200,000 might list for $383,847. Remember, however, that this is just an average for revenue multiples in the area. Some firms will have higher revenue multiples and others will have lower revenue multiples.
According to BizBuySell.com, the median revenues for its business-for-sale listings was $453,000 in Q1 2009.
To put this in perspective, the Q1 2008 revenue multiple was 1.90 and the median revenue for listed businesses was $445,500.
Q1 2009 Cash Flow Multiples In Schenectady, NY
Cash flow multiples are another common way to value a business.
For Q1 2009, the average cash flow multiple for listed businesses in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area was 4.97.
So, a business with cash flows of $150,000 might have an asking price of $745,596. That's only if the firm complies with the local average. Cash flow multiples will usually vary considerably based on many factors.
If you are interested in what cash flows are for a business in Schenectady, BizBuySell.com reports that the median cash flow for Schenectady area businesses was $130,500 in Q1 2009. In Q1 2008, cash flow multiples clocked in at 4.30 and the median cash flow was $143,948.
Things to Consider When Selling a Business in Schenectady, NY
Don't assume that the price you initially negotiate with a buyer will stay the same all the way to closing. During due diligence, the buyer may find some blemishes on the businesses that lead them to lower their offer. This is a natural part of the process and should be expected. This helpful business selling tip comes from Domenic Rinaldi, managing partner of Sun Acquisitions, a leading business brokerage firm.
Business Valuations for Schenectady, NY Businesses
If you are contemplating buying a business or selling a business and would like to look at comparables in the area, we suggest you try the BizBuySell.com Business Valuation Tool. You can modify the dataset that creates business valuation estimates to meet your specific criteria. As a bonus, access to the tool is very affordable -- less than $100.
More Information on BizBuySell.com's Quarterly Reports
The BizBuySell Insight Report is a nationally-recognized economic report that tracks trends in the business-for-sale marketplace. If you find these trends interesting, take a moment to visit BizBuySell.com Insights Report for more information.
Historical Data for Schenectady, NY Business Valuations
If you are interested in trends in business-for-sale asking prices, here are the median asking prices for businesses in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area for the last 9 quarters.
Here is how median revenue multiples are tracking in the Schenectady area, based on BizBuySell.com's quarterly reports.
The table below shows how cash flow multiples are trending in the Schenectady area, based on BizBuySell.com's quarterly reports.
Flow Multiple
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