Business Sales Info
Business Sales Blog
Independent, practical articles on selling your Australian business — industrial, B2B, hospitality, and all sectors. Written without jargon, without an agenda.
Selling a Logistics & 3PL Business in NSW
Transport and freight distribution businesses in Greater Western Sydney are attracting serious buyer interest — but only when the numbers are clean, contracts are transferable, and the business can run without the owner in the cab.
Richard Matthews · May 20, 2025 · 5 min read
Selling a Manufacturing Business in Western Sydney
Manufacturing businesses in Western Sydney are in demand from both trade buyers and growth-focused acquirers. A good broker finds the right buyer — you keep your accountant, your lawyer, and your focus on running the business until settlement.
Richard Matthews · May 8, 2025 · 6 min read
What's Your Engineering Workshop Worth in Australia?
CNC shops, welding fabricators, and jobbing manufacturers across NSW and VIC trade at 2.0–3.5× EBITDA — but the range is wide. Equipment condition, customer concentration, and whether the owner is on the tools every day are the deciding factors.
Richard Matthews · May 17, 2025 · 4 min read
Earnings Multiples in Food Manufacturing: What Australian Businesses Sell For
Food manufacturing businesses in NSW and VIC trade at 3.0–5.0× EBITDA when the product is proprietary and the customer base is diversified. Contract manufacturers with a single major customer sit at the lower end — and buyers know why.
Richard Matthews · May 12, 2025 · 4 min read
Why Asset-Heavy Businesses Often Disappoint Vendors at Valuation
A business generating $1M profit at a 2.5× multiple is worth $2.5M in goodwill. But if it carries $3M in stock, the buyer writes a $5.5M cheque and needs 5.5 years to break even. The multiple did not disappoint the vendor. The stock did.
Richard Matthews · June 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Import and Distribution Businesses in Australia: What Buyers Pay
Import and distribution businesses in NSW and QLD trade on earnings multiples — but the multiple is heavily influenced by stock levels, supplier exclusivity, and how dependent the business is on a single import relationship.
Richard Matthews · Apr 29, 2025 · 4 min read
Valuing Timber Mills and Wholesalers in Australia
Australia's timber industry is foundational to housing and infrastructure — but valuing a timber mill or wholesale operation requires understanding asset-heavy balance sheets, log supply agreements, and the difference between processing and distribution margins.
Richard Matthews · May 27, 2025 · 4 min read
Mining Services Business Valuations in Australia: Listed vs Private
Mining services businesses in QLD and WA trade at very different multiples depending on whether they serve tier-1 miners on long-term contracts or operate as project-based subcontractors. The gap between the two is significant.
Richard Matthews · Jul 18, 2025 · 5 min read
Fire Protection Business Values in Australia: Why They Sell Well
Fire protection companies in NSW and VIC sit in a unique pocket of the market — recurring service revenue, regulated demand, and a buyer pool that includes both trade acquirers and private equity. Here is what they are worth and when to sell.
Richard Matthews · May 14, 2025 · 4 min read
Solar & Battery Installation Businesses in NSW: Valuations in a Hot Market
The solar and battery installation sector in NSW and QLD is booming — but not all businesses in the sector are equally valuable. Recurring maintenance contracts, accreditation status, and installer capacity are what separate a premium sale from a difficult one.
Richard Matthews · May 31, 2025 · 4 min read
What Are Kitchen Cabinet Businesses Worth in Australia?
Kitchen cabinet manufacturers and retailers in NSW and VIC trade at 2.0–3.5× EBITDA. The multiple depends heavily on whether the business is project-based or has a showroom with recurring builder relationships — and whether the owner is the primary designer.
Richard Matthews · May 13, 2025 · 3 min read
What's Your Plumbing Business Worth in NSW?
Plumbing businesses in NSW with staff, systems, and steady commercial work are worth more than most owners realise — but only if the owner is not the one quoting, managing jobs, and jumping on the tools simultaneously. Here is what buyers actually pay.
Richard Matthews · Sep 24, 2025 · 4 min read
What's an Electrical Business Worth in Australia? Small vs Scaled Up
Electrical businesses in NSW and VIC range from sole operators worth under $100,000 to scaled commercial contractors worth 3–4× EBITDA. The difference is not the revenue — it is whether the business runs without the owner holding the licence.
Richard Matthews · Apr 16, 2025 · 4 min read
What's a Construction Business Worth in Australia?
Construction businesses in NSW and QLD are among the hardest to value — project-based revenue is hard to forecast, the builder's licence is often personal, and forward order books can evaporate. Here is what buyers actually pay and what drives the multiple.
Richard Matthews · Apr 17, 2025 · 4 min read
How Pool Businesses Are Valued in Australia After the Boom
The COVID pool boom is over. In 2025, buyers of pool service routes, retail shops, and construction firms in NSW and QLD are scrutinising margins, labour efficiency, and recurring income stability — not just revenue growth. Here is what the market is paying.
Richard Matthews · Aug 22, 2025 · 4 min read
Gardening and Landscaping Business Valuations in Australia
Gardening maintenance businesses in NSW and VIC with recurring commercial contracts sell at higher multiples than lawn mowing operations — but the difference in how buyers value them is significant. Here is what drives the gap.
Richard Matthews · May 5, 2025 · 3 min read
Allied Health Business Valuations in Australia: What Buyers Are Paying
Physiotherapy, psychology, and allied health practices in NSW and VIC sell differently to other businesses. Goodwill is personal, referrals are fragile, and buyers price that risk into every offer. Here is the current multiple range and what drives it.
Richard Matthews · Apr 18, 2025 · 5 min read
Why Pharmacies in Australia Get Better Multiples Than Medical Clinics
Pharmacies in NSW and VIC trade at 4–6× EBITDA — significantly above most medical and dental clinics. Regulatory licensing, PBS revenue, and location restrictions create a barrier to entry that buyers pay a premium for.
Richard Matthews · Apr 28, 2025 · 3 min read
How IT Services Businesses Are Valued in Australia
IT services firms in NSW and VIC — managed services, cloud, helpdesk — can be highly attractive to buyers. Sticky recurring revenue and low capital intensity support multiples of 3–7× EBITDA. But not all IT businesses are created equal.
Richard Matthews · Apr 17, 2025 · 4 min read
What's Your RTO Worth in Australia? Understanding Training Business Values
Registered Training Organisations in NSW and QLD are a staple of the education sector — but valuing them requires understanding government funding dependency, ASQA compliance history, and whether the student base is transferable to a new operator.
Richard Matthews · May 1, 2025 · 4 min read
Selling a Consulting Engineering Firm in Australia: What Buyers Want
Consulting engineering firms in NSW and VIC typically sell for 3–5× EBIT — but only when the principal is not the sole technical relationship. The question every buyer asks: what happens when the founder leaves?
Richard Matthews · Apr 17, 2025 · 3 min read
Bookkeeping Business Sales in Australia: What They Are Really Worth
Bookkeeping businesses in NSW and VIC are typically priced on revenue multiples — 0.9–1.3× annual recurring fees — rather than earnings. Buyers are usually other bookkeepers or accounting firms acquiring client lists and ongoing relationships.
Richard Matthews · Apr 17, 2025 · 3 min read
Child Care Centre Multiples in Australia: Why EBITDA Alone Misses the Point
Child care centres in NSW and VIC trade on approved places and occupancy rates — not just earnings. A centre at 90% occupancy with 90 approved places is a fundamentally different asset to one at 65% with 60 places, even if the EBITDA looks similar.
Richard Matthews · Apr 2, 2025 · 5 min read
Gelato and Ice Cream Business Sales in Australia
Gelato and ice cream businesses in NSW and VIC trade at 1.5–2.5× SDE. Seasonality is the central challenge — a business that generates $180,000 in a good year may generate $90,000 in a bad one. Buyers price that volatility directly into the offer.
Richard Matthews · Mar 14, 2025 · 3 min read
How to Value a Café in Australia: A Seller's Guide
Cafés in NSW and VIC are one of the most commonly sold — and most mispriced — small businesses in Australia. Rent as a percentage of revenue and lease length drive value more than turnover. Here is what buyers actually pay and why.
Richard Matthews · Jan 8, 2025 · 5 min read
Why Hair Salons Are a Difficult Sell in Australia
Hair businesses in NSW and VIC are among the hardest to sell at a meaningful price. Solo operators rarely attract offers above $80,000. The businesses that do sell well are the ones where the owner is not behind the chair — and the clients are loyal to the brand, not the person.
Richard Matthews · May 16, 2025 · 3 min read
What's Your Jewellery Business Worth in Australia?
Jewellery stores in NSW and VIC face a specific valuation challenge: stock is real but illiquid, and goodwill is often personal. Buyers pay for the location, the lease, and the recurring customer base — not the inventory at retail value.
Richard Matthews · Jul 29, 2025 · 3 min read
Are Newsagencies Still a Good Business in Australia?
Newsagencies in NSW and VIC have evolved significantly — lottery commissions, stationery, and gift lines now drive more profit than print media. But the valuation question is complex, and the buyer pool is narrower than it was a decade ago.
Richard Matthews · Jun 12, 2025 · 3 min read
What's a Convenience Store Worth in Australia in 2025?
Convenience stores in NSW and VIC trade at 2.0–3.0× EBITDA — but the 5% rent rule is the first filter every buyer applies. Above that threshold, the margin for error disappears and the business becomes very hard to sell at any reasonable price.
Richard Matthews · May 8, 2025 · 3 min read
What's a Supermarket Worth in Australia? Multiples and the 5% Rent Rule
Privately-owned supermarkets in NSW and VIC are valued primarily on EBITDA — but the rent-to-revenue ratio is the single most important number in the deal. Savvy buyers know the real cost is not the purchase price, it is the ongoing occupancy cost.
Richard Matthews · May 8, 2025 · 3 min read
Valuing Car Rental Businesses in Australia: When Fleet Assets Trump EBITDA
Car rental businesses in NSW and QLD are capital-intensive — the fleet is the primary asset, and traditional EBITDA multiples do not always tell the full story. Here is how buyers approach the valuation and what drives the final price.
Richard Matthews · May 10, 2025 · 4 min read
When a Buyer Comes Knocking: Why You Still Need a Broker in NSW
A buyer has shown up. They say they're interested. They've asked for numbers. It feels like the hard part is over. It isn't. Here's why independent representation still matters — even when the buyer finds you first.
Richard Matthews · Apr 28, 2025 · 3 min read
Due Diligence Document Checklist: What Buyers Will Ask For in Australia
When selling your Australian business, due diligence is where the deal is won or lost. Being prepared with the right documents means faster deals, fewer price chips, and more buyer confidence. Here is the complete checklist.
Richard Matthews · Apr 19, 2025 · 4 min read
Vendor Finance for Australian Business Buyers: A Realistic Option
Vendor finance in Australian business sales is not a workaround — it is a legitimate deal structure that can benefit both parties when used correctly. Here is when it makes sense, what the risks are, and how to structure it properly.
Richard Matthews · May 3, 2025 · 4 min read
Why Business Sales Fall Apart After Agreement in Australia
You've shaken hands, everyone's smiling, and the champagne's on standby. But many Australian business sales fall apart after reaching agreement — and the reasons are more predictable than most sellers expect.
Richard Matthews · Apr 17, 2025 · 3 min read
Selling a Warehousing Business in NSW: What Buyers Are Paying
Warehousing and storage businesses in Sydney's industrial precincts — Eastern Creek, Moorebank, Botany, Chullora — are in strong demand. Lease security and contracted clients are the two factors that determine your multiple.
Richard Matthews · Jun 6, 2025 · 5 min read
Selling a Wholesale or Import Distribution Business in NSW
Wholesale and import distribution businesses in NSW trade at 2.5–4.5× EBITDA. Supplier exclusivity, stock turnover, and customer concentration are the three factors that determine where your business sits in that range.
Richard Matthews · Jun 6, 2025 · 5 min read
Selling a Transport Business in Queensland: What the Market Is Paying
Queensland transport and freight businesses — road freight, bulk haulage, refrigerated transport — trade at 2.5–4.5× EBITDA. The 2032 Olympics infrastructure pipeline is creating strong demand for freight capacity in South East Queensland.
Richard Matthews · Jun 6, 2025 · 5 min read
Selling a Professional Services Business in NSW: Valuations by Sector
Accounting firms, financial planning businesses, recruitment agencies, and management consultancies in NSW all sell differently. The common thread: value is in client relationships — and whether those relationships transfer to the new owner.
Richard Matthews · Jun 6, 2025 · 6 min read
Sell My Business Sydney: The Complete Guide for NSW Owners
Thinking about selling your Sydney business? This guide covers valuation, finding the right buyer, lease assignment under NSW law, CGT concessions, and what to expect from the sale process — from a broker who specialises in Sydney industrial and B2B businesses.
Richard Matthews · Dec 15, 2024 · 6 min read
Selling a Business in Victoria: Timing, Brokers, and Valuations
Victoria's business sale market is shaped by Melbourne's density and a strong hospitality and professional services sector. The Victorian Retail Leases Act has specific provisions that affect every business sale — here is what sellers need to know.
Richard Matthews · Dec 2, 2024 · 5 min read
Selling a Business in Queensland: A Practical Overview
Queensland's diverse economy — tourism, agriculture, construction, and resources — means business valuations vary widely by sector and region. South East Queensland is the most active market; regional QLD requires a national buyer network.
Richard Matthews · Nov 18, 2024 · 5 min read