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Day County

Selling a Business in Day County

Day County has 226 employer businesses, and 93% 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

Day County by the numbers

226

226

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

93%

93%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

524

524

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,372

1,372

EMPLOYMENT

$60 million

$60 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

66

66

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 Day County compares

  • Day County ranks 23rd of 66 South Dakota counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 16.5% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Manufacturing makes up 5% of employer businesses in Day County, compared with 4% in South Dakota.

  • 66 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

  • Day County ranks 23rd of 66 South Dakota counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 16.5% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Manufacturing makes up 5% of employer businesses in Day County, compared with 4% in South Dakota.

  • 66 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 34 employer businesses

  • Construction: 30 employer businesses

  • Repair, personal care and other services: 24 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 22 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 18 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 34 employer businesses

  • Construction: 30 employer businesses

  • Repair, personal care and other services: 24 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 22 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 18 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Day County

Retail, construction, repair, personal care and other services, accommodation and food service

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 Day County

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Day 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

20 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • General Contracting: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

  • Electrical: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

  • Interior Finishing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.

  • Landscaping: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

10 related employer businesses in Day County.

Financial & Professional Services

8 related employer businesses in Day County.

Automotive & Boat

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Auto Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.

  • Car Dealerships: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.

Hospitality & Travel

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Hotels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.

  • Motels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

Entertainment & Recreation

5 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Bars & Pubs: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.

  • Clubs & Lounges: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Day County.

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

Retail Stores

4 related employer businesses in Day County.

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Day 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

20 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • General Contracting: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.

  • Electrical: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

  • Interior Finishing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.

  • Landscaping: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

10 related employer businesses in Day County.

Financial & Professional Services

8 related employer businesses in Day County.

Automotive & Boat

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Auto Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.

  • Car Dealerships: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2x - 8x Blue Sky + Assets.

Hospitality & Travel

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Hotels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.

  • Motels: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

6 related employer businesses in Day County.

Entertainment & Recreation

5 related employer businesses in Day County.

  • Bars & Pubs: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 4.0x SDE.

  • Clubs & Lounges: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 6.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Day County.

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

Retail Stores

4 related employer businesses in Day County.

Working with owners in Day County

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

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Day County ask

How long does it take to sell a business in Day 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.

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How is a business valued in Day 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 Day 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