Glossary / Multiple
Multiple
A multiple is the ratio of a business’s sale price to its annual profit — a business earning $50k a year that sells for $150k sold at a 3× multiple.
The multiple is the single number that turns earnings into a price. Most online businesses are quoted as a multiple of annual profit (SDE); some early-stage or fast-growing ones are quoted on revenue instead.
What multiple a business commands depends mostly on its model, how durable and verifiable the earnings are, and growth. Recurring-revenue businesses like SaaS clear the highest multiples; single-channel content sites the lowest.
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See these figures on real listings — every deal on Acquisiteur shows its multiple against comparable sales.
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