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Keokuk County

Selling a Business in Keokuk County

Keokuk County has 236 employer businesses, and 94% 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

Keokuk County by the numbers

236

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

94%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

758

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,564

EMPLOYMENT

$76 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

71

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 Keokuk County compares

Keokuk County ranks 81st of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 0.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 10% of employer businesses in Keokuk County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
71 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Keokuk County ranks 81st of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 0.4% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 10% of employer businesses in Keokuk County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
71 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 36 employer businesses
Construction: 34 employer businesses
Retail: 28 employer businesses
Wholesale: 25 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 23 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 36 employer businesses
Construction: 34 employer businesses
Retail: 28 employer businesses
Wholesale: 25 employer businesses
Transportation and warehousing: 23 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Keokuk County

Repair, personal care and other services, construction, retail, wholesale

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Auto Parts

Automotive & Boat

Auto Repair

Automotive & Boat

Carpentry & Framing

Construction & Engineering

Civil Engineering

Construction & Engineering

Every kind of business we sell in Keokuk County

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

Logistics & Transportation

27 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

General Freight Trucking: 21 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

21 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Electrical: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Interior Finishing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

9 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Insurance Agencies: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

9 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

8 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Auto Repair: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

8 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Wholesale & Distribution

5 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

4 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Gas Stations: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

27 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

General Freight Trucking: 21 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

21 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Electrical: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
General Contracting: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Interior Finishing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

9 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Insurance Agencies: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Restaurants & Food

9 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

8 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Auto Repair: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Collision Repair: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Retail Stores

8 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Wholesale & Distribution

5 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

4 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Gas Stations: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x EBITDA + Real Estate.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Keokuk County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.

Working with owners in Keokuk County

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

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Keokuk County ask

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