Excerpt from Inc. Magazine, The Most Valuable Companies in America, By Darren Dahl
Apr 1, 2008:

The Boomer Effect

Just as in selling a house, selling a business requires a good sense of timing -- everyone wants to sell when the market is at its peak. And if potential sellers need yet another reason to take the plunge, consider this: An estimated 65 percent to 75 percent of the small companies in the U.S. -- some 10 million -- will likely hang up a "for sale" sign over the next five to 10 years. Why? Retiring baby boomers. "While it has historically been a seller's market, we're on the cusp of shifting into a buyer's market," says Stabler. "The children of the baby boomers have moved on to other things, so with no one to pass the business to, they have no choice but to sell." The likely result? An oversupply of businesses for sale -- and an end to the current seller's market. In other words, use the following pages as a guide to what you might expect to sell your business for today, but maybe not tomorrow.

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