2026: The Year to Sell Your Business
Why the Market Has Shifted in Your Favor—and How to Get Ready
By Ramzi Daklouche | VR Business Brokers
If you’ve been thinking about selling your business, you’ve probably been watching the economy like a hawk for the past few years. High interest rates. Uncertain buyer confidence. Maybe you thought, “I’ll wait until things settle down.”
Here’s the truth: things have settled down—and 2026 is shaping up to be one of the strongest seller’s markets we’ve seen in years.
Let me walk you through what’s changed, why it matters to you, and exactly what you should be doing right now to position your business for a premium sale.
Interest Rates Have Finally Come Down
Remember when the Federal Reserve kept rates at 5.5% for what felt like forever? That era is over. The Fed has now cut rates to the 3.50%–3.75% range—that’s 175 basis points lower than where we started in late 2024.
Why does this matter to you as a seller?
- More Qualified Buyers: Lower rates mean SBA loans are more affordable. Monthly payments on acquisition financing have dropped significantly, putting more buyers in a position to purchase businesses in the $500K–$5M range.
- Higher Valuations: When financing is cheaper, buyers can afford to pay more. The math is simple—lower debt service means they have more room in the deal.
- Faster Deals: Banks and SBA lenders are getting more aggressive. The SBA closed fiscal year 2025 with a record $44.8 billion in guaranteed loans. Lenders want to deploy capital.
Most economists expect another one to three rate cuts in 2026, with some projecting rates could settle in the low 3% range. If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to sell, this is about as good as it gets.
A New Wave of Motivated Buyers
Here’s something that changed dramatically in 2025: the corporate world pushed out over 1.1 million employees through layoffs. Microsoft alone cut 15,000. Intel eliminated over 21,000 positions. And these aren’t just entry-level workers—many are experienced executives and mid-career professionals with savings, severance packages, and a strong desire to never rely on corporate employment again.
Where are they going? Into business ownership.
A recent Forrester study found that younger generations (born 1980 or later) now make up 64% of small business buyers globally. “Entrepreneurship through acquisition” is no longer a niche concept—it’s a mainstream career path. These buyers are educated, well-capitalized, and actively hunting for profitable businesses with proven cash flow.
For sellers, this means a deeper buyer pool than we’ve seen in years. Competition among buyers is healthy—and healthy competition drives better terms for you.
The M&A Market Is Roaring Back
The big players are bullish. According to Deloitte’s 2026 M&A Trends Survey, 90% of private equity respondents and 80% of corporate buyers expect deal volume to increase this year. Goldman Sachs is projecting 2026 could see M&A activity surpass 2021—potentially the biggest year on record.
What’s driving this?
- Private Equity Dry Powder: PE firms are sitting on over $1 trillion in capital they need to deploy. They’ve been holding portfolio companies longer than planned and are now aggressively looking for quality acquisitions—including add-on deals in the lower middle market.
- Service Businesses Are Hot: Buyer appetite is strongest in service-based sectors—industrial services, business services, healthcare services, and essential services. These are seen as resilient during economic uncertainty.
- Narrowing Valuation Gaps: After two years of buyers and sellers being far apart on price, expectations are aligning. Sellers have become more realistic, and buyers have become more aggressive.
The Baby Boomer Factor: Timing Is Everything
If you’re a Baby Boomer business owner, you’re part of a massive demographic wave. Boomers own 2.34 million small businesses in the U.S., employing over 25 million people. An estimated $10 trillion in business assets will transfer hands over the coming decade.
Here’s the problem: only about 40% of business owners have any succession plan in place.
The “silver tsunami” isn’t coming—it’s already here. And the owners who are prepared are commanding premium prices, while those who aren’t are leaving money on the table or, worse, closing their doors without capturing any value.
Don’t be the owner who waits until health issues, burnout, or a market downturn forces your hand. The best time to sell is when you don’t have to—when you can negotiate from a position of strength.
Are You Ready to Sell? Here’s How to Find Out
The M&A process typically takes 6-9 months from preparation to closing. If you want to capitalize on 2026’s favorable conditions, the time to start preparing is right now.
That’s why I’ve created a comprehensive 2026 Exit Readiness Checklist that covers everything you need to do before going to market:
- Financial Preparation – Books, tax returns, add-backs, and SDE calculation
- Operational Readiness – Owner dependency, SOPs, customer concentration, key employees
- Legal & Compliance – Licenses, leases, corporate structure, litigation
- Personal Readiness – Walk-away number, transition planning, professional valuation
📋 DOWNLOAD THE FREE CHECKLIST
Print it out. Work through each item. Know exactly where you stand.
The Bottom Line
The stars are aligning for business sellers in 2026. Interest rates have come down. Buyer demand is surging from corporate refugees and well-capitalized entrepreneurs. M&A activity is rebounding. And PE firms have mountains of capital to deploy.
Business owners who enter the market “transaction-ready” consistently achieve better outcomes—higher valuations, smoother due diligence, and faster closes.
Don’t leave money on the table. Start your exit preparation today.
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