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Osceola County

Selling a Business in Osceola County

Osceola County has 192 employer businesses, and 89% 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 transportation and warehousing and retail.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Osceola County by the numbers

192

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

89%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

432

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,896

EMPLOYMENT

$87 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

72

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 Osceola County compares

Osceola County ranks 86th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 0.5% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 15% of employer businesses in Osceola County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
72 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Osceola County ranks 86th of 99 Iowa counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses grew 0.5% between 2018 and 2023.
Transportation and warehousing makes up 15% of employer businesses in Osceola County, compared with 5% in Iowa.
72 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Transportation and warehousing: 29 employer businesses
Retail: 27 employer businesses
Construction: 24 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 21 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 17 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Transportation and warehousing: 29 employer businesses
Retail: 27 employer businesses
Construction: 24 employer businesses
Repair, personal care and other services: 21 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 17 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Osceola County

Transportation and warehousing, retail, construction, repair, personal care and other services

Commercial Moving

Logistics & Transportation

Freight Brokerage & 3PL

Logistics & Transportation

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Carpentry & Framing

Construction & Engineering

Civil Engineering

Construction & Engineering

Every kind of business we sell in Osceola County

These are the industries in Osceola 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.

Logistics & Transportation

32 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

General Freight Trucking: 28 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

14 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

General Contracting: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Electrical: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Financial & Professional Services

6 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Insurance Agencies: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

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

Restaurants & Food

4 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Hospitality & Travel

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Hotels: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Metal Fabrication: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.

Wholesale & Distribution

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Logistics & Transportation

32 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

General Freight Trucking: 28 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Construction & Engineering

14 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

General Contracting: 9 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Electrical: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Financial & Professional Services

6 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Insurance Agencies: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Gas Stations & Convenience

5 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

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

Restaurants & Food

4 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.5x - 2.5x SDE.

Education & Childcare

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Daycare Centers: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.39x - 3.35x SDE.

Hospitality & Travel

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Hotels: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.6x - 5.1x EBITDA.
Motels: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 1.1x - 2.5x SDE.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Metal Fabrication: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.2x - 4.2x SDE.

Wholesale & Distribution

3 related employer businesses in Osceola County.

Industrial & Construction Supply: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.0x SDE.

Working with owners in Osceola County

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

Get a Free Valuation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Osceola County ask

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

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

How is a business valued in Osceola 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 Osceola 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