28 Apr Hot Business List — March 2011
Below you will find the current “hot” business list courtesy of data from Businesses For Sale (www.businessesforsale.com). We asked Businesses For Sale for a monthly ranking of business types based on the number of “hits” on their site. This ranking is not based on the actual sale of businesses.
We are simply trying to provide a glimpse at what buyers are looking at now. We felt that displaying businesses sold would reflect the past rather than the future.
Of the top ten listed below, eight are food and drink type businesses. I include C-Stores as they do sell food and drink. Keep this in mind, that today’s buyer, perhaps more than ever, is a first time-buyer and wants something he or she is comfortable and familiar with. Interestingly, looking at data from many years ago, the top sellers look very familiar.
E-Commerce is also right up there. This category obviously includes a lot of different type of businesses. Since I believe that main street business brokerage is still a numbers business (and I don’t mean necessarily financial numbers). The more fast food businesses the office has listed, the more they have to show a prospecting buyer. Buyers who want something in the easy food line might buy a bagel shop, a sandwich shop or similar business.
Businessesforsale.com is an English company and very good site to place your listings with. But, they break down their lists by country. So, the lists below are based on activity in the U.S.
Top Ten Main Street Businesses for March 2011:
- Convenience Stores
- Restaurants
- E-Commerce Business
- Bars
- Auto Repair Businesses
- Sandwich Shops
- Non Franchised Fast Food Businesses
- American Restaurants
- Fast food Franchises
- Bagel Shops
Top Ten M&A Businesses for March 2011:
- Design Businesses
- Educational and School Related
- Air Transport Businesses
- Machinery and Metal Manufacturing Businesses
- Marketing Businesses
- Auto Repair & Service Businesses
- Miscellaneous Distribution Businesses
- Construction Supply Businesses
- Health and Beauty Businesses
- Publishing Businesses
Top 10 Businesses for January 2011:
1. Miscellaneous Restaurants
2. Convenience Stores
3. Bars
4. E-Commerce Businesses
5. American Restaurants
6. Nightclubs
7. Auto Repair, Service and Parts Businesses
8. Cafe Bars
9. Fast Food Franchises
10. Websites
Top 10 M&A Mid Market Businesses for January 2011
1. Miscellaneous Home and Garden Businesses
2. Auto Repair, Service and Parts Businesses
3. Glaziers
4. Miscellaneous Distribution Businesses
5. Events
6. Machine Shop Manufacturing
7. Miscellaneous Service Businesses
8. Miscellaneous Vehicle Related Businesses
9. Glass Products Manufacturers
10. Software Businesses
Top 10 Businesses for December 2010:
1. Bars
2. E-Commerce Businesses
3. Restaurants
4. Fast Food Franchises
5. Convenience Stores
6. Miscellaneous Restaurants
7. Websites
8. Nightclubs
9. Gas/Service Stations
10. Sales Businesses
Top 10 M&A Mid Market Businesses for December 2010:
1. Miscellaneous Distribution Businesses
2. Fabrication Businesses
3. Bagel Shops
4. Machine Shop Manufacturers
5. Metal Products Manufacturers
6. Building Service Businesses
7. Electrical Appliance Manufacturers
8. Chemical Related Businesses
9. Miscellaneous Wholesale
10. Miscellaneous Construction
Top 10 Businesses for November 2010:
1. E-Commerce Businesses
2. Convenience Stores
3. Miscellaneous Restaurants
4. Auto Repair, Service and Parts Businesses
5. Sandwich Shops and Delivery Businesses
6. Bars
7. American Restaurants
8. Liquor Stores
9. Non Franchised Fast Food Restaurants
10. Gas Stations
Top 10 M&A Businesses for November 2010:
1. Casinos
2. Auto Repair, Service and Parts Businesses
3. Miscellaneous Wholesale Businesses
4. Miscellaneous Manufacturing Businesses
5. Miscellaneous Transport Services
6. Miscellaneous Health Care Businesses
7. Management Consultancy Businesses
8. Miscellaneous Service Businesses
9. Financial Services Businesses
10. Consultancy Businesses
Top businesses for October 2010:
1. E-Commerce Businesses
2. Convenience Stores
3. Websites
4. Bars
5. Sandwich Shops
6. Non Franchised Fast Food Businesses
7. Miscellaneous Restaurants
8. American Restaurants
9. Fast Food Franchises
10. Liquor Stores
Top M&A businesses for October 2010:
1. Hotels
2. Miscellaneous Manufacturing Businesses
3. Art Galleries and Museums
4. Drug Stores and Pharmacies
5. Miscellaneous Distribution Businesses
6. E-Commerce Businesses
7. Road Haulage and Freight Services Businesses
8. Building Services Businesses
9. Miscellaneous Health and Beauty Businesses
10. Metal Products Manufacturers
Sold Businesses by Type for Past Years
For informational purposes (and perhaps to provide a little history and satisfy some curiosity) we have provided information on what sold in years past.
2007
| Service (consulting, dry cleaning, quick print, video, etc.) | 19% |
| Manufacturing | 17% |
| Retail | 15% |
| Food & Drink Related | 15% |
| Distribution | 11% |
| Professional Practices | 09% |
| Other (coin laundry, routes, etc.) | 07% |
| Auto Related | 07% |
2006
| Serivce (dry cleaning, video, quick print, etc.) | 19% |
| Retail | 16% |
| Food & Drink Related | 15% |
| Manufacturing | 15% |
| Other (coin laundry, routes) | 10% |
| Distribution | 09% |
| Professional Practices | 09% |
| Auto Related | 08% |
2005
| Service (dry cleaning, video, quick print, etc.) | 25% |
| Retail | 17% |
| manufacturing | 16% |
| Food & Drink Related | 14% |
| Distribution | 11% |
| Auto Related | 09% |
| Other (coin laundries, routes, etc.) | 05% |
| Professional Practices | 04% |
2003
- Service
- Food & Drink Related
- Manufacturing
- Retail
- Professional Practices
- Auto Related
- Distribution
- Other
- Franchise Sales
1978
| Misc. Food Businesses | 29% |
| Retail | 14% |
| Markets | 09% |
| Service | 09% |
| Coffee Shops | 08% |
| Beer Taverns | 07% |
| Liquor Stores | 06% |
| Cocktails | 06% |
| Miscellaneous | 06% |
| Coin Laundries | 04% |
| Wholesale | 02% |
