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Clarke County

Selling a Business in Clarke County

Clarke County has 188 employer businesses, and 82% 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

Clarke County by the numbers

188

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

82%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

616

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

3,560

EMPLOYMENT

$170 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

77

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 Clarke County compares

Clarke County ranks 88th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 7.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Health care and social assistance makes up 15% of employer businesses in Clarke County, compared with 11% in Iowa.
77 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Clarke County ranks 88th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 7.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Health care and social assistance makes up 15% of employer businesses in Clarke County, compared with 11% in Iowa.
77 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Health care and social assistance: 28 employer businesses
Retail: 26 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 24 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 21 employer businesses
Construction: 18 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Health care and social assistance: 28 employer businesses
Retail: 26 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 24 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 21 employer businesses
Construction: 18 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Clarke County

Health care and social assistance, retail, repair, personal care and other services, accommodation and food service

Dental Practices

Medical Practices

Home Health & Hospice

Medical Practices

Gyms & Health Clubs

Health & Fitness

Personal Training Studios

Health & Fitness

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Every kind of business we sell in Clarke County

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Clarke 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.

Restaurants & Food

14 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Quick-Service & Fast Food: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

12 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Landscaping: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Automotive & Boat

6 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Auto Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Car Washes: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Financial & Professional Services

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Insurance Agencies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Gas Stations: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Hospitality & Travel

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Hotels: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Daycare Centers: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

General Freight Trucking: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Dental Practices: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Restaurants & Food

14 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Quick-Service & Fast Food: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.
Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Coffee Shops: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

12 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Landscaping: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Automotive & Boat

6 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Auto Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Car Washes: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.5x - 7.0x EBITDA.

Financial & Professional Services

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Insurance Agencies: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Gas Stations: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Hospitality & Travel

5 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Hotels: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Daycare Centers: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

General Freight Trucking: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Medical Practices

4 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Dental Practices: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.5x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Clarke County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Working with owners in Clarke County

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

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Clarke County ask

How long does it take to sell a business in Clarke 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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