Beauty Business Sale Statistics: What to Expect When Selling Your Business
Based on SalonSpa Connection’s Beauty Business Acquisitions
Most business brokers won’t show you their actual numbers. We’re different. Since systematically tracking our closings, we’ve compiled real data from actual salon and spa sales across the country. Here’s what beauty business owners need to know about today’s market.
Final Sale Price Reality: The 78% Rule
Average sale price: 78% of the original list price
If you’re expecting to get your full asking price, you need to read this. Across our tracked transactions, businesses sold for an average of 78 cents on the dollar compared to their original listing price.
But here’s what that number doesn’t tell you: this isn’t about poor marketing or weak negotiations. It’s about three critical factors:
Market valuation vs. owner expectations. Many owners list based on what they need or want, not what the market will bear. The businesses that sold closest to the asking price (95-100%) were priced correctly from day one using proper valuation methods.
Due diligence discoveries. Buyers uncover details during their investigation period—lease issues that weren’t initially disclosed, expenses that didn’t qualify as add-backs, and employee issues. These findings naturally lead to price adjustments.
Financing realities. SBA lenders require appraisals, and if the appraisal comes in low, the deal gets repriced or restructured.
The outliers matter: The deals that achieved 100% (or near 100%) of asking price were our higher-value listings—ranging from $195,000 to $1,350,000. These businesses had clean books, transferable leases, and were priced correctly from day one using proper valuation methods.
On the other end, our largest price reductions told a different story. A California hair salon listed at $123,000 sold for $60,000 (49% of ask), and a Tennessee salon listed at $260,000 closed at $59,000 (23% of ask). What made the difference? In both cases, things changed during the sale that drastically impacted the viability of the business to buyers.
What you should do: Price your business at fair market value from day one. Use a proper valuation method performed by a Beauty Business Brokerage. You’ll attract serious buyers faster and close at a higher percentage of your ask.
Time it Takes to Sell a Beauty Business: Plan for 6-9 Months
Average time from listing to closing: 6.8 months
Selling a salon or spa is not a quick process. Our data shows the average timeline from “going live” to “sold” is just under 7 months, but that number masks important variations:
The fast sales (under 3 months): We’ve closed deals in as little as 5 weeks. What do they have in common?
- Profitable, cash flowing and beautiful
- Clean financial records ready for review
- Motivated sellers willing to negotiate and offer partial seller financing
- Turnkey operations requiring minimal transition support
The standard timeline (4-8 months): Most of our sales fall here. This includes:
- 2-4 weeks to attract initial buyer interest
- 4-6 weeks for due diligence once an offer is accepted
- 6-8 weeks for buyers to secure funding and SBA loan approval and processing
- 2-4 weeks for final paperwork and transition planning
The long sales (12-16 months): Three businesses took over a year to sell. Why?
- One was in a decline and had a very narrow buyer pool
- One had lease complications that required lengthy landlord negotiations
- One was overpriced initially and required two price reductions before attracting serious offers
The hidden timeline killer: Seller preparation. Businesses with organized financials, clear lease terms, and documented systems sell 40% faster than those where the broker has to help create these materials post-listing.
What you should do: Start preparing 1 year before you want to list. Get your financials organized, review your lease, document your processes. Then expect another 6-9 months for the sale process itself. Total timeline: 12-15 months from “I’m thinking about selling” to “money in the bank.”
Our Commitment: Transparent Data, Better Outcomes
These statistics represent Beauty Business Acquisitions in the US only. We’ll update this report quarterly to give salon and spa owners the most accurate market intelligence available.
Why we share this: Too many brokers promise unrealistic timelines and sale prices. We’d rather set proper expectations and deliver results that meet or exceed them.
Our current sample: 2024, 2025 closed transactions across 43 states, ranging from $59,000 to $6,500,000 in sale price.
Want to see how your business compares? Schedule a free consultation with a Salonspa Connection broker and we’ll walk you through a preliminary valuation using our proprietary analysis method.
