Similar businesses sell at 1.4x to 5.0x SDE. Compare live listings and connect with sellers.
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This is a rare opportunity to acquire a highly profitable, long-standing catering and event planning company in Washington County, Maryland with an exceptional reputation built over more than 70 years of family operation. There are no businesses in the region that can match this level of longevity, brand recognition, and consistent financial performance. The company offers full-service catering along with comprehensive event planning, making it a true one-stop solution for weddings, corporate functions, private parties, and large-scale events. From menu design and food preparation to venue coordination, staffing, and execution, the business delivers a seamless experience that has earned it a loyal client base and strong referral network. Operations are fully staffed with an experienced and reliable team in place, allowing for a smooth transition and minimal owner involvement in day-to-day activities. The current ownership has built strong systems, vendor relationships, and processes that support both efficiency and scalability. With consistent profitability, repeat clientele, and a diversified mix of event types, this business offers stability and significant upside potential. Growth opportunities include expanding corporate accounts, increasing event volume, enhancing digital marketing efforts, or extending services into new geographic areas. This opportunity is ideal for an entrepreneur seeking a turnkey operation with immediate cash flow, or for an existing catering, hospitality, or event services company looking to expand through acquisition.
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This is a well-established, premium-positioned irrigation design, installation, and service contractor with approximately 25 years of continuous operation in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, serving Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the surrounding region. The business generates revenue across nine service lines, including new system installation, recurring contract service (spring startups and fall winterizations), system enhancements, repairs, landscape lighting, and seasonal snow removal. The recurring service base covers several hundred accounts annually under written agreements, providing meaningful revenue predictability heading into each season. The company competes on quality and technical expertise rather than price, and holds industry certifications that allow it to pursue complex, specification-driven projects that lower-cost competitors cannot service. The client mix is heavily weighted toward commercial and institutional accounts, with no single customer representing an outsized share of revenue. The business operates from a leased facility with a stable, long-tenured team, well-documented systems, and a full fleet of owned vehicles and equipment. Revenue is approximately $2.26M (2025). The owner is selling due to retirement and is committed to a smooth transition.
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Established in 2019, this staffing firm specializes in direct-hire recruitment for finance and accounting positions, serving companies primarily in the DC Metro area. The business handles both contingent and retained searches, with a strong reputation for connecting top-tier candidates with mid-sized to large employers across private equity, financial services, real estate, and nonprofit sectors. The company operates from a leased office with multiple workstations and has a lean team of two full-time recruiters, allowing for highly efficient operations. The business also recently launched a proprietary subscription-based technology platform that provides applicant intelligence for employers, offering a significant growth opportunity. Opportunities for expansion include scaling into additional markets, introducing temporary staffing services, and leveraging technology to drive higher volume placements. This is an ideal acquisition for a recruiter, staffing entrepreneur, or investor looking to acquire a profitable, established business with strong client relationships, recurring project-based revenue, and substantial upside potential. The current owner is open to a partial exit or partnership and is willing to provide ongoing support and training during the transition.
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Well Established Cleaning Business for sale Established in 2011, this business has earned a strong reputation for reliability, efficiency, and exceptional service. Committed to enhancing the safety, health, and comfort of every work environment, the team consistently goes above and beyond—benefiting staff, customers, tenants, and potential buyers alike. By upholding the highest standards without compromise, they deliver superior satisfaction every time. Attention to detail is what sets this business apart. From flooring to overhead light fixtures, no surface is overlooked—even in hard-to-reach areas. Their services include janitorial cleaning, deep cleaning, hard floor stripping and sealing, carpet revitalization, and eco-friendly green cleaning. Trusted by a wide range of clients across Baltimore, their customer base includes banks, gyms, offices, retail stores, real estate professionals, apartment complexes, houses of worship, daycares, auto dealerships, healthcare providers, and veterinary clinics.
National transaction benchmarks for service business businesses.
Under $500K
$500K to $2M
Over $2M
A variety of factors can cause businesses to trade outside this range, including earnings quality, operational transferability, key-person risk, growth trajectory, and geography, so a listing priced above or below the typical multiple usually reflects real differences in the underlying business.
Cofounder & CEO
Key diligence, valuation, financing, and transition considerations for buyers evaluating service business acquisitions.
A pest-control, cleaning, or landscaping firm with recurring agreements is worth far more than one living on one-off jobs; get the contracted share and the renewal rate.
A few large accounts can carry — and walk with — the business; review the top customers, contract lengths, and cancellation terms.
In many service businesses the owner is the salesperson and the trusted contact; understand who holds the customers and the transition plan.
These are labor-heavy; understand staffing, turnover, wage pressure, and whether key crews stay.
Pest control, security, legal, and waste businesses carry licenses and obligations that may be tied to the owner — and some, like dry cleaners, carry environmental exposure.
Low-capital service businesses are easy to dress up; scrutinize owner add-backs, vehicle and equipment condition, and whether the margins hold.
Answers to common buyer questions for this market.
