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Bear Lake County

Selling a Business in Bear Lake County

Bear Lake County has 168 employer businesses, and 95% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here. The largest industries here are retail and construction.

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Areas in Idaho

LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Bear Lake County by the numbers

168

168

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

95%

95%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

568

568

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,081

1,081

EMPLOYMENT

$41 million

$41 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

55

55

BUSINESSES WITH 5 TO 49 EMPLOYEES

U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024. Counts are employer establishments, meaning business locations with paid employees.

How Bear Lake County compares

  • Bear Lake County ranks 37th of 44 Idaho counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 33.3% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Retail makes up 18% of employer businesses in Bear Lake County, compared with 11% in Idaho.

  • 55 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

  • Bear Lake County ranks 37th of 44 Idaho counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 33.3% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Retail makes up 18% of employer businesses in Bear Lake County, compared with 11% in Idaho.

  • 55 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 30 employer businesses

  • Construction: 28 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 20 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 15 employer businesses

  • Professional and technical services: 13 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 30 employer businesses

  • Construction: 28 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 20 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 15 employer businesses

  • Professional and technical services: 13 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Bear Lake County

Retail, construction, accommodation and food service, health care and social assistance

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Carpentry & Framing

Construction & Engineering

Civil Engineering

Construction & Engineering

Audio Visual (AV)

Home Services

Commercial Cleaning

Home Services

Every kind of business we sell in Bear Lake County

These are the industries in Bear Lake County and the number of employer businesses in each. Counts are employer businesses in the closest Census industry codes. Industries without a clean Census match are listed without a count, and a few industries share one Census category, so their counts match. A sale multiple is the price a business typically sells for as a multiple of its earnings. SDE means seller's discretionary earnings, which is the owner's pay plus the profit of the business. EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Construction & Engineering

22 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • General Contracting: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

  • Landscaping: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

  • Plumbing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.

  • Foundation & Site Prep: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.

  • HVAC Services: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.

  • Electrical: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

11 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Financial & Professional Services

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Gas Stations: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Logistics & Transportation

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Medical Practices

5 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Dental Practices: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.

Hospitality & Travel

4 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Hotels: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.

  • Motels: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

These are the industries in Bear Lake County and the number of employer businesses in each. Counts are employer businesses in the closest Census industry codes. Industries without a clean Census match are listed without a count, and a few industries share one Census category, so their counts match. A sale multiple is the price a business typically sells for as a multiple of its earnings. SDE means seller's discretionary earnings, which is the owner's pay plus the profit of the business. EBITDA means earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Construction & Engineering

22 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • General Contracting: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

  • Landscaping: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

  • Plumbing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.

  • Foundation & Site Prep: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.

  • HVAC Services: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.

  • Electrical: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

11 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Financial & Professional Services

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Gas Stations: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Logistics & Transportation

6 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Medical Practices

5 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Dental Practices: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.

Hospitality & Travel

4 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Hotels: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.

  • Motels: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

  • Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Bear Lake County.

Working with owners in Bear Lake County

Business Advisors of America works with owners who are selling a business in Bear Lake County. Contact us to talk about a sale.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Bear Lake County ask

How long does it take to sell a business in Bear Lake County?

The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers.

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How is a business valued in Bear Lake County?

Valuation starts with the earnings the business produces for an owner, then adjusts for assets, size, industry and the terms a buyer is likely to accept. The result is a range, and the asking price is set inside it.

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Is the sale confidential?

Buyers are asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before they see the name of the business or its financial statements.

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FROM OUR BLOG

Guides for owners in Bear Lake County

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

October 3, 2025

Business Owners

Add-Backs: What Counts, What Does Not, and What Buyers Push Back On

Every add-back you can prove raises your sale price by two to three times its amount. Every add-back you cannot prove costs you credibility on all the others.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

March 5, 2026

Business Owners

Buyer Qualification: How We Screen Out the Buyers Who Cannot Close

Most inquiries on a business listing come from people who cannot close. Here is how they get screened out before they see your name or your financials.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article

February 9, 2026

Business Owners

The Confidential Information Memorandum: What Goes In It and Why

The CIM is the document a buyer reads before they decide to spend time on your business. Here is what it has to contain and the mistakes that cost sellers offers.

Read article