Home

/

/

/

Johnson County

Selling a Business in Johnson County

Johnson County has 175 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.

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Contact Us

Contact Us

Contact Us

Contact Us

Contact Us

Contact Us

Areas in Illinois

Adams County

Bloomington

Bureau County

Carroll County

Cass County

Champaign

Chicago

Christian County

Clark County

Clay County

Coles County

Cook County

Crawford County

Cumberland County

De Witt County

Decatur

Douglas County

DuPage County

Edgar County

Effingham County

Fayette County

Franklin County

Fulton County

Greene County

Hamilton County

Hancock County

Iroquois County

Jackson County

Jasper County

Jefferson County

Jo Daviess County

Johnson County

Kankakee

Knox County

Lake County

LaSalle County

Lawrence County

Lee County

Livingston County

Logan County

Marion County

Mason County

McDonough County

Montgomery County

Morgan County

Moultrie County

Ogle County

Peoria

Perry County

Pike County

Randolph County

Richland County

Rockford

Saline County

Schuyler County

Shelby County

Springfield

Stephenson County

Union County

Vermilion County

Wabash County

Warren County

Washington County

Wayne County

White County

Whiteside County

Will County

Williamson County

LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Johnson County by the numbers

175

175

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

93%

93%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

768

768

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,255

1,255

EMPLOYMENT

$49 million

$49 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

70

70

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 Johnson County compares

  • Johnson County ranks 88th of 102 Illinois counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 5.4% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Retail makes up 17% of employer businesses in Johnson County, compared with 11% in Illinois.

  • 70 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

  • Johnson County ranks 88th of 102 Illinois counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.

  • The number of employer businesses grew 5.4% between 2018 and 2023.

  • Retail makes up 17% of employer businesses in Johnson County, compared with 11% in Illinois.

  • 70 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 30 employer businesses

  • Repair, personal care and other services: 19 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 19 employer businesses

  • Construction: 19 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 17 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

  • Retail: 30 employer businesses

  • Repair, personal care and other services: 19 employer businesses

  • Accommodation and food service: 19 employer businesses

  • Construction: 19 employer businesses

  • Health care and social assistance: 17 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Johnson County

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

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Auto Parts

Automotive & Boat

Auto Repair

Automotive & Boat

Every kind of business we sell in Johnson County

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Johnson 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

15 related employer businesses in Johnson 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.

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

Restaurants & Food

12 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Financial & Professional Services

10 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Senior Care & Living

7 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

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

Automotive & Boat

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

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

Logistics & Transportation

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

We sell businesses in every one of these industries in Johnson 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

15 related employer businesses in Johnson 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.

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

Restaurants & Food

12 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Financial & Professional Services

10 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Senior Care & Living

7 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Gas Stations & Convenience

6 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

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

Automotive & Boat

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

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

Logistics & Transportation

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Retail Stores

3 related employer businesses in Johnson County.

Working with owners in Johnson County

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

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Johnson County ask

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

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

How is a business valued in Johnson 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.

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

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.

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

FROM OUR BLOG

Guides for owners in Johnson 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