Small Business Acquisition Research
Original data on how businesses are bought and sold in the United States.
Each report is based on primary data from native polls inside the Business For Sale by Owner Facebook group — 336,000+ members, 80% buyers, 95% US-based. No broker estimates. No aspiring entrepreneur surveys. Responses come from people actively engaged in the market right now.
About the Data
Business For Sale by Owner is a Facebook group for buying and selling businesses in the United States. The community currently has 336,000+ members. Of those, approximately 80% are buyers, 20% are sellers, and 95% are US-based. The group grows by roughly 10,000 members per month organically.
Each report presents a single poll question posed to the community. Respondents self-selected by answering a public poll. No compensation was provided. Results are reported as percentages shown in the Facebook poll interface; raw vote counts were not exported.
This data reflects an engaged, self-selected community — not a random sample of the broader US small business market. It represents how active buyers and sellers in this space think and behave.
Published Reports
Buyer Capital • February 2026
How Much Capital Do Business Buyers Actually Have?
64% of respondents report $50,000 or more set aside. At a 10% down payment, that implies roughly $500,000+ in potential acquisition buying power.
Sale Timelines • February 2026
How Long Does It Take to Sell a Business?
51% of respondents report sales closing in 3 to 6 months. 76% indicate a full sale timeline under 12 months.
Deal Financing • March 2026
How Do Buyers Finance a Business Acquisition?
51% plan to use seller financing as their primary funding source — far ahead of SBA loans, cash, and investor capital combined.
Buyer Behavior • March 2026
Do Buyers Prefer Broker Listings or Owner Listings?
70% of respondents prefer buying directly from owners. Only 30% prefer going through a broker.
Platform Comparison • April 2026
10 Best BizBuySell Alternatives (2026 Guide)
Direct marketplaces, global platforms, and broker-assisted options compared — how each one works and who it's best suited for.
Coming Soon
Why Are Sellers Selling?
Retirement, burnout, pivot, or lifestyle change — what's actually driving exits.
Methodology
All reports are based on primary data collected via native polls inside the Business For Sale by Owner Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/businessforsalebyowner). Participation is voluntary. Results are reported as percentages from the Facebook poll interface; raw vote counts are not exported. No compensation is provided to respondents.
Press inquiries: businessforsalebyowner.us/contact
About the Author
Hans Peter Jeschke is the founder of Idillo Inc. (dba BizForSaleByOwner.us) and the creator of BusinessForSaleByOwner.us. He holds a Dipl.-Ing. in Mechanical Engineering (equivalent to a Master of Science) from RWTH Aachen University and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of HR Watches, a bimonthly print magazine that ceased publication in 2008, with distribution exceeding 100,000 copies sold at retailers including Barnes & Noble and 3,000+ paid subscribers. He operates the Business For Sale by Owner Facebook community, the largest of its kind in the US — currently 336,000+ members and growing by roughly 10,000 each month. He regularly publishes original research on small business acquisitions and seller behavior, based on community polling.