A good revenue multiplier typically ranges from 1 to 3 times annual revenue for most small businesses. However, this can vary significantly based on industry, market conditions, and specific business characteristics.
Key Factors Influencing Revenue Multiples
Industry: Different industries have vastly different average revenue multiples. High-growth tech companies often see multiples of 5x or even higher, while more traditional industries like manufacturing might have multiples closer to 1x or 2x.
To find the fair market value, it is then necessary to divide that figure by the capitalization rate. Therefore, the income approach would reveal the following calculations. Projected sales are $500,000, and the capitalization rate is 25%, so the fair market value is $125,000.
Weighted Rule for Public SaaS Companies
For the most part, companies with a higher weighted Rule of 40 are rewarded with higher revenue multiples. Public SaaS companies scoring greater than 40% on a Weighted Rule of 40 basis posted a median EV/Revenue multiple of 10.7x.
The rule of thumb for growth rate expectations at a successful SaaS company being managed for aggressive growth is 3, 3, 2, 2, 2: starting from a material baseline (e.g., over $1 million in annual recurring revenue [ARR]), the business needs to triple annual revenues for two consecutive years and then double them for ...
Rule Of 40 FAQs
The Rule of 40 states that the sum of a healthy SaaS company's annual recurring revenue growth rate and its EBITDA margin should be equal to or exceed 40%. It is a measure of how well a SaaS balances growth with profitability.
So as an example, a company doing $2 million in real revenue (I'll explain below) should target a profit of 10 percent of that $2 million, owner's pay of 10 percent, taxes of 15 percent and operating expenses of 65 percent. Take a couple of seconds to study the chart.
Using this basic formula, a company doing $1 million a year, making around $200,000 EBITDA, is worth between $600,000 and $1 million. Some people make it even more basic, and moderate profits earn a value of one times revenue: A business doing $1 million is worth $1 million.
A business will likely sell for two to four times seller's discretionary earnings (SDE)range –the majority selling within the 2 to 3 range. In essence, if the annual cash flow is $200,000, the selling price will likely be between $400,000 and $600,000.
Main Street Deals (Sub $3m Revenue)
Companies with under $3m in sales will typically sell for 2.5 – 3.5 X their discretionary earnings (total cash the owner could take out of the company). Smaller companies that are even more owner-reliant will even be lower than that.
What Is a Good ARR Multiple? This depends on the SaaS company's sub-niche, but some general industry benchmarks exist to determine a decent ARR Multiple. In Q1 2023, the multiple for U.S SaaS companies is 6.7x. That means the multiple could be from 3x to 15x of annual revenue.
A typical EBITDA multiple range of 4x to 8x is in the middle of the range for most industries in the lower middle market. There's no single “typical” EBITDA multiple across sizes and industries, this range can serve as a general guideline.
The Revenue Multiple Method
The revenue multiple used often falls between 0.5 to 5 times yearly revenue depending on the industry. For a company doing $2 million in gross annual sales, that could equate to a business valuation between $1 million (0.5X multiplier) up to $10 million (5X yearly sales).
What Is a Typical Revenue-Sharing Percentage? A revenue-sharing percentage ranges anywhere between 2% to 10%. This will depend on how many stakeholders are involved and the size of the company.
While $3 million in sales is certainly impressive, it doesn't automatically translate to a specific valuation. The true worth of your business depends on a complex interplay of factors, including: Profitability: Your net profit margin (after all expenses) is a critical driver of value.
A 2018 Payscale report found that small business owners median salary in the US is just above $59,000. Only 31 percent of business owners have a household income of $100,000 or more, whereas 35 percent have an income between $50,001 and $100,000.
Average earnings multiples range from 2 to 3 across popular sectors, with the average across all sectors at 2.49. Revenue multiples range from 0.4 to 1.2, with the average across all businesses at 0.64. (For small business valuation purposes, cash flow to the owner (earnings) is a more reliable indicator than revenue.)
While breaking $1 million in revenue is an impressive milestone for a small business, it's important to remember that revenue alone isn't a reliable indicator of business success. Profitability, cash flow, and customer satisfaction are also critical factors that need to be considered.
For instance, according to a 2023 report, CEOs of large public companies earned an average salary of $1.6 million in 2023, while those at midsize firms averaged about $890,000, and CEOs of smaller private companies earned an average of around $630,000.
But how much does it take to be considered wealthy? A net worth of $2.5 million is what Americans think it takes to earn the wealthy moniker, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth survey. That seven-figure sum is up 14% from a year ago, when survey respondents thought amassing $2.2 million was enough.
EBITDA and revenue are both valuable metrics used to calculate business performance. The primary difference between EBITDA and revenue is that EBITDA is a company's total income minus operating expenses. On the other hand, revenue is a company's total income before deducting any expenses.
By ignoring depreciation, Ebitda fails to account for the ongoing capital requirements necessary to replace aging assets. As a result, investors may underestimate the future capital needs of the company, leading to underinvestment and potential operational challenges down the line.
The Interest Limitation Rule (ILR) is intended to limit base erosion using excessive interest deductions. It limits the maximum net interest deduction to 30% of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization (EBITDA). Any interest above that amount is not deductible in the current year.
The rule of 70 is used to determine the number of years it takes for a variable to double by dividing the number 70 by the variable's growth rate. The rule of 70 is generally used to determine how long it would take for an investment to double given the annual rate of return.