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Wells County

Selling a Business in Wells County

Wells County has 168 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. The largest industries here are repair, personal care and other services and retail.

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LOCAL SNAPSHOT

Wells County by the numbers

168

EMPLOYER BUSINESSES

94%

SMALL EMPLOYER SHARE

359

BUSINESSES WITH NO EMPLOYEES

1,145

EMPLOYMENT

$54 million

ANNUAL PAYROLL

55

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 Wells County compares

Wells County ranks 24th of 53 North Dakota counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 9.7% between 2018 and 2023.
Repair, personal care and other services makes up 16% of employer businesses in Wells County, compared with 10% in North Dakota.
55 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Wells County ranks 24th of 53 North Dakota counties and county equivalents for employer businesses.
The number of employer businesses fell 9.7% between 2018 and 2023.
Repair, personal care and other services makes up 16% of employer businesses in Wells County, compared with 10% in North Dakota.
55 employer businesses here have 5 to 49 employees.

Industry mix

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 27 employer businesses
Retail: 25 employer businesses
Construction: 22 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 18 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 15 employer businesses

The largest industries by number of employer businesses:

Repair, personal care and other services: 27 employer businesses
Retail: 25 employer businesses
Construction: 22 employer businesses
Accommodation and food service: 18 employer businesses
Health care and social assistance: 15 employer businesses

INDUSTRIES

What sells in Wells County

Repair, personal care and other services, retail, construction, accommodation and food service

Barber Shops

Beauty & Personal Care

Day Spas

Beauty & Personal Care

Auto Parts

Automotive & Boat

Auto Repair

Automotive & Boat

Electronics & Repair

Retail Stores

Fashion, Apparel & Jewelry

Retail Stores

Every kind of business we sell in Wells County

These are the industries in Wells 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.

Restaurants & Food

16 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 7 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.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Construction & Engineering

15 related employer businesses in Wells County.

General Contracting: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Carpentry & Framing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Electrical: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Logistics & Transportation

11 related employer businesses in Wells County.

General Freight Trucking: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

10 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Insurance Agencies: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

8 related employer businesses in Wells 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

5 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Wells County.

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

Restaurants & Food

16 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Full-Service Restaurants: 7 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.
Grocery Stores & Markets: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.0x SDE + Inventory.

Construction & Engineering

15 related employer businesses in Wells County.

General Contracting: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.0x - 4.5x SDE.
Foundation & Site Prep: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x EBITDA + Fleet.
Carpentry & Framing: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 4.0x SDE.
Electrical: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 4.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.

Logistics & Transportation

11 related employer businesses in Wells County.

General Freight Trucking: 8 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.44x - 3.45x SDE.
Heavy Haul Transport: 3 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 3.5x - 4.5x SDE.

Financial & Professional Services

10 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Insurance Agencies: 6 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 6.0x - 8.0x EBITDA.
Accounting & Tax Practices: 4 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.0x - 3.5x SDE.

Automotive & Boat

8 related employer businesses in Wells 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

5 related employer businesses in Wells County.

Hardware, Garden & Building: 5 employer businesses here. Typical sale multiple: 2.5x - 3.8x SDE + Inventory.

Manufacturing

3 related employer businesses in Wells County.

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

Working with owners in Wells County

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

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions owners in Wells County ask

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

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

How is a business valued in Wells 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 Wells 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