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Answer 10 straightforward questions about your revenue, profit, industry, and operations. No financials needed. No accountant required. If you know your numbers roughly, that's enough to start.
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Our AI analyzes your inputs against real transaction data from comparable businesses sold in your industry. You get a valuation range, your key value drivers, and your biggest risks — the kind of analysis that would normally cost thousands and take weeks.
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Whether you're ready to list, want to talk to an advisor, or just want to understand your options — you'll leave informed. Not guessing. And if you're ready, you can turn your valuation into a marketplace listing in one click.
Here's what you actually get.
A real example — anonymized — for a residential HVAC business with $2.1M in revenue and $410K in profit.
Estimated value range
Most likely value · based on a 1.9× EBITDA multiple for comparable trades businesses
Key value drivers
- • Recurring maintenance contracts with 600+ residential customers
- • Strong 19.5% net margin, above the industry average
- • Experienced lead technicians who can run jobs without the owner
- • 28 years of brand reputation in a growing service area
Key risks
- • Owner still handles most customer relationships personally
- • No formal documented systems for scheduling and dispatch
- • Revenue concentrated in summer and winter peak seasons
- • Aging service fleet may need replacement within 2 years
Plain-English summary
This is a healthy, profitable business with real value — most likely worth around $760,000 to the right buyer. Its biggest strength is a loyal base of repeat customers and margins that beat the industry. The main thing holding the number back is how much still depends on you personally. Document your systems and start handing off customer relationships, and you could move toward the top of this range before you ever sit down with a buyer.
Sample figures for illustration. Your valuation is generated from your own inputs.
Questions owners ask us.
How accurate is this tool?
It's not meant to replace a formal appraisal — it's meant to replace the blank stare. It gives you a defensible, data-informed range so you can have smarter conversations with brokers, buyers, and advisors.
Does AI make mistakes?
Our AI applies consistent valuation logic — revenue multiples, EBITDA margins, industry benchmarks — the same framework a broker uses, just instantly and without a $5,000 retainer upfront. It surfaces the right questions and the right range. A good advisor still validates it. But now you walk into that conversation informed, not blind.
Is my information safe?
Your valuation is completely private. We never share or sell your data. You choose if and when to list your business.
Do I need to be ready to sell?
Not at all. Most people who use Mercato are just curious what they've built. Knowing your number is the first step — even if you're 5 years from selling.
What if I need a formal valuation for legal or tax purposes?
A Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) is still essential for anything requiring a formal, defensible report — tax, estate, legal disputes. Mercato helps you understand the landscape before you get there. Think of it as the step that helps you realize you need one.
Want to go deeper? Read the Mercato guides.
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