What the report covers
The State of SMB Acquisition Report is built for one reader: the person seriously thinking about buying a business. It answers the questions that actually decide whether a deal happens, what things cost, how they get financed, and where the opportunity is thickest.
- Pricing & multiples. Median sale prices and SDE multiples across Main Street and the lower-middle market, with industry-by-industry detail from the multiples database.
- Financing conditions. SBA 7(a) volume, average deal size, rates, and which lenders are most active in acquisitions, see the best SBA lenders ranking.
- Supply & demographics. The boomer "silver tsunami," succession-planning gaps, and how many businesses are actually reaching the market. The full breakdown lives on our SMB acquisition statistics page.
- Deal dynamics. Days on market, offers per deal, and how much room buyers have to negotiate.
- The buyer's read. Our Main Street Buyer Index, a single 0 to 100 gauge of how favorable conditions are for buyers this quarter.
Methodology
We don't run our own survey, we synthesize the best public data that already exists, then translate it for buyers. Our standing rules:
- Primary, public sources only. The report draws from the BizBuySell Insight Report (closed-transaction marketplace data), the IBBA & M&A Source Market Pulse (broker survey up to $50M), and SBA 7(a) and 504 activity data.
- Every figure is linked. If we can't source it, we don't print it. Where estimates conflict, we show the range rather than pick a favorite.
- Sold, not listed. We prioritize closed-transaction data over asking prices, because asking prices overstate what deals actually clear at.
- Buyer's lens. We add context our members see on the ground, clearly labeled as observation rather than survey data.
Why closed data matters
Asking-price databases are easy to find and consistently optimistic. The report leans on closed transaction reporting so the numbers reflect what buyers really pay, not what sellers hope to get.
The 2026 snapshot
Here is the current market as the report reads it, with every figure sourced:
| Metric | Latest | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) loans approved, FY2025 | 78,078 loans / $37.3B | SBA [3] |
| SBA 7(a) volume, FY2024 (prior year) | 70,242 loans / $31.1B | SBA [3] |
| Combined SBA 7(a) + 504 lending, FY2025 | $45.1B (record) | SBA [3] |
| Median small business sale price | ~$350,000 | BizBuySell [1] |
| Median cash flow (SDE) on sold deals | ~$165,000 | BizBuySell [1] |
| Median / average Main Street multiple | ~2.7× SDE | IBBA · BizBuySell [1][2] |
| Median multiple, sub-$500K Main Street deals | ~2.0× SDE | IBBA Market Pulse [2] |
Note: SBA fiscal year 2025 runs October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Marketplace and broker figures reflect early-2026 reporting periods. See SMB acquisition statistics for the full context.
The one-line read
Financing is at a record high and prices are steady near 2.7× cash flow, a rare window where money is available and valuations haven't run away. The report exists to help buyers act on it with eyes open.
Get the report on release
The first edition is coming in 2026. Drop your email and we'll send it the day it publishes, no spam, just the report and the quarterly index update.
Be first to get the report
Free on release. Sourced, linkable, and built for buyers, not brokers.
We'll only email you about the report and market data. Unsubscribe anytime.Frequently asked questions
The first edition is scheduled for release in 2026. Subscribe above and we'll email you a copy the day it publishes. Until then, the SMB acquisition statistics page carries the current sourced numbers.
Public marketplace and lending data, the BizBuySell Insight Report, the IBBA & M&A Source Market Pulse survey, and SBA 7(a) year-end activity data, plus our own community deal observations, clearly labeled. Every figure is sourced and linked.
Yes. The report is free to read and free to cite. A link back is appreciated. Journalists and researchers can get in touch for early access.
Sources
- [1] Sale prices & multiples: BizBuySell Insight Report closed-transaction data (2026).
- [2] Broker survey multiples: IBBA & M&A Source Market Pulse, Q1 2026 results, reported via PR Newswire.
- [3] SBA lending volume: SBA 7(a) & 504 Activity Reports, FY2025 year-end; FY2025 record totals summarized via AmPac Business Capital and iBusiness Funding (2025).
