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Butler County

Selling a Business in Butler County

Butler County has 324 employer businesses, and 92% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Butler County by the numbers

324

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

92%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

1,036

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

2,602

EMPLOYMENT

$126 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

100

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 Butler County compares

Butler County ranks 62nd of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 5.5% between 2018 and 2023.
Manufacturing makes up 8% of employer businesses in Butler County, compared with 4% in Iowa.
100 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Butler County ranks 62nd of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 5.5% between 2018 and 2023.
Manufacturing makes up 8% of employer businesses in Butler County, compared with 4% in Iowa.
100 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 50 employer businesses
Retail: 44 employer businesses
Construction: 35 employer businesses
Finance and insurance: 27 employer businesses
Manufacturing: 27 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 50 employer businesses
Retail: 44 employer businesses
Construction: 35 employer businesses
Finance and insurance: 27 employer businesses
Manufacturing: 27 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Butler County

Repair, personal care and other services, retail, construction, finance and insurance

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Auto Parts

Automotive & Boat

Auto Repair

Automotive & Boat

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Every kind of business we sell in Butler County

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Butler County. 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

25 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Landscaping: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Plumbing: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

22 related employer businesses in Butler County.

General Freight Trucking: 19 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

16 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Insurance Agencies: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.

Manufacturing

14 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Metal Fabrication: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.
Construction Materials Manufacturing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

13 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Coffee Shops: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

10 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Auto Repair: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

9 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Gas Stations & Convenience

8 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Gas Stations: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Education & Childcare

7 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Daycare Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Entertainment & Recreation

5 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Golf Courses: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Veterinary Medicine: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.

Construction & Engineering

25 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Landscaping: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Plumbing: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

22 related employer businesses in Butler County.

General Freight Trucking: 19 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

16 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Insurance Agencies: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.

Manufacturing

14 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Metal Fabrication: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.
Construction Materials Manufacturing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

13 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.
Coffee Shops: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

10 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Auto Repair: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

9 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Gas Stations & Convenience

8 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Gas Stations: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Education & Childcare

7 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Daycare Centers: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Entertainment & Recreation

5 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Golf Courses: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 8.0x - 11.0x EBITDA.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Butler County.

Veterinary Medicine: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 9.0x EBITDA.

Working with owners in Butler County

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

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Butler County ask

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

The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers. Many sales take six months or longer from the start of the process to closing.

How is a business valued in Butler 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.

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.

FROM OUR BLOG

Guides for owners in Butler 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