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Northumberland County

Selling a Business in Northumberland County

Northumberland County has 306 employer businesses, and 96% of them have fewer than 20 employees. This page shows the local mix of industries and how a sale is handled here. The largest industries here are construction and repair, personal care and other services.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Northumberland County by the numbers

306

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

96%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

1,250

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,615

EMPLOYMENT

$68 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 Northumberland County compares

Northumberland County ranks 96th of 133 Virginia counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 2.7% between 2018 and 2023.
Manufacturing makes up 6% of employer businesses in Northumberland County, compared with 2% in Virginia.
100 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Northumberland County ranks 96th of 133 Virginia counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 2.7% between 2018 and 2023.
Manufacturing makes up 6% of employer businesses in Northumberland County, compared with 2% in Virginia.
100 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Construction: 63 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 47 employer businesses
Retail: 37 employer businesses
Professional and technical services: 28 employer businesses
Manufacturing: 18 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Construction: 63 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 47 employer businesses
Retail: 37 employer businesses
Professional and technical services: 28 employer businesses
Manufacturing: 18 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Northumberland County

Construction, repair, personal care and other services, retail, professional and technical services

Carpentry & Framing

Construction & Engineering

Civil Engineering

Construction & Engineering

Audio Visual (AV)

Home Services

Commercial Cleaning

Home Services

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Every kind of business we sell in Northumberland County

These are the industries in Northumberland County and the number of employer businesses in each. 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

49 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

General Contracting: 20 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Landscaping: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Masonry: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Equipment.

Financial & Professional Services

20 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Real Estate Brokerages: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Insurance Agencies: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Automotive & Boat

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Auto Repair: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Marinas: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: Cap Rate or 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Collision Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Logistics & Transportation

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

General Freight Trucking: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

8 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

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

Manufacturing

8 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.

Retail Stores

4 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Wholesale & Distribution

4 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Food & Beverage Distribution: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Home Services

3 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Pest Control: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.34x - 2.90x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

49 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

General Contracting: 20 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Landscaping: 10 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 5.0x SDE.
Plumbing: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x SDE.
HVAC Services: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.6x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Electrical: 7 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Masonry: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Equipment.

Financial & Professional Services

20 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Real Estate Brokerages: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.5x SDE.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.
Insurance Agencies: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Automotive & Boat

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Auto Repair: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.2x SDE.
Marinas: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: Cap Rate or 4.0x - 7.0x EBITDA.
Collision Repair: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 5.0x EBITDA.

Logistics & Transportation

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

General Freight Trucking: 13 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.

Restaurants & Food

13 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.
Quick-Service & Fast Food: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Gas Stations & Convenience

8 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

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

Manufacturing

8 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Food & Beverage Manufacturing: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.1x - 4.5x SDE.

Retail Stores

4 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Wholesale & Distribution

4 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Food & Beverage Distribution: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.5x SDE.

Home Services

3 related employer businesses in Northumberland County.

Pest Control: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.34x - 2.90x SDE.

Working with owners in Northumberland County

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

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Northumberland County ask

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

The time depends on the price, the quality of the records and the number of qualified buyers.

How is a business valued in Northumberland 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 Northumberland 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