A lot of professionals have quietly started checking whether their own job will still exist in five years, and a growing number are asking a different question: what if I owned the thing instead? This week gave them plenty to look at, with 9,254 businesses listed in our price band across 12 states. Of those, 5,494 published both price and profit, and 4,152 cleared our credibility screen, which means the figures on those listings hang together well enough to be worth a real look. Florida led all states in listings, and the top candidate below is an automotive service business asking $499,000. Our examples assume 10% down, which is a modeling assumption, not a lender's quote, so treat everything that follows as a candidate to investigate, not a conclusion.
THIS WEEK'S TOP DEALS
8 deals cleared our filters. Ranked by score.
Deal #1: HIGH CASH FLOW FRANCHISE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE BUSINESS
CA · Automotive · 9 years in operation
Asking: $499,000 | Revenue: $707,000 | Cash Flow: $240,000
Rev Multiple: 0.71x | CF Multiple: 2.08x | Score: 7.6/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 3.37x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.7x over, self-financing at current rates
34% cash flow margin — 34% of every revenue dollar reaches the owner
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Franchise quick-lube and light-repair shop in Quartz Hill, in LA County's Antelope Valley, grossing $707,000 with $240,000 in seller cash flow at a $499,000 ask. The seller has run it since 2019 with four employees, and the buyer assumes the existing franchise agreement, a 6% royalty plus 1% national ad fund, so the cash flow should be tested against those fees. The listing's own growth levers are tire sales, full mechanic repair and fleet accounts, but a bolt-on to a franchise system needs franchisor sign-off. Treat approval by the franchisor and the landlord as the real gate here, not the price.
Deal #2: FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIR IN CARY
NC · Automotive · 7 years in operation
Asking: $750,000 | Revenue: $1,300,000 | Cash Flow: $250K - $500K
Rev Multiple: 0.58x | CF Multiple: 2.00x | Score: 7.6/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 3.50x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.8x over, self-financing at current rates (estimated from a disclosed range)
29% cash margin — healthy for an Automotive business in this price range (estimated from a disclosed range)
Revenue disclosed precisely; cash flow disclosed only as a seller-stated range or bound — verify the exact figure before underwriting
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Five-bay, seven-lift auto repair shop in Cary running on a national franchise banner, open weekdays only with no nights, weekends or holidays, a schedule that is rare in auto repair. The franchise resale has traded since 2019 on a lease, with four employees and the seller leaving for personal reasons. The listing gives cash flow only as a $250K to $500K range against a $750,000 ask, so the headline multiple and debt coverage rest on a guess at the midpoint until the P&L is in hand.
Deal #3: PROFITABLE ST. LOUIS AREA LAWN AND LANDSCAPE BUSINESS
MO · Home Services · 20 years in operation
Asking: $700,000 | Revenue: $702,728 | Cash Flow: $310,977
Rev Multiple: 1.00x | CF Multiple: 2.25x | Score: 7.6/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 3.11x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.5x over, self-financing at current rates
44% cash flow margin — 44% of every revenue dollar reaches the owner
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Repeat or recurring clientele reported — demand that returns without a sales push; verify it isn't one relationship
St. Louis lawn and landscape company with 700–800 residential accounts on weekly and bi-weekly routes, sold by a retiring owner after 20-plus years. The reason to look is route density: the crews already drive the same streets, so the next fertilizing or hardscape upsell costs almost nothing in windshield time. $311K of cash flow on a $700K ask is 2.25x, and the 44% margin is the number to pressure-test against the books. The 6 full-timers and 10 part-timers are the real asset, since the listing expects them to transition, and the lease on the 2,400 sq ft yard is $2,000 a month.
Deal #4: PROFITABLE NICHE SALES/SERVICE BUSINESS SBA PRE-APPROVED
MO · Retail
Asking: $700,000 | Revenue: $619,118 | Cash Flow: $255,255
Rev Multiple: 1.13x | CF Multiple: 2.74x | Score: 7.6/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 2.55x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.0x over, self-financing at current rates
41% cash flow margin — 41% of every revenue dollar reaches the owner
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Repeat or recurring clientele reported — demand that returns without a sales push; verify it isn't one relationship
A St. Louis County retail-and-service operation that has traded for over 30 years across two leased storefronts, and the listing never says what it sells, so that is your first call to the broker. The numbers are the draw: $255,255 in cash flow on a $700,000 ask is 2.74x, and the margin runs 41%. The seller is retiring, the shops run part-time hours on a 12-person part-time staff, and the listing says the business is SBA pre-approved. Treat that as the seller's claim, not a lender commitment: confirm with the lender what was pre-approved and on what terms, and verify the financials before you move.
Deal #5: ABSENTEE-RUN AMAZING LASH STUDIO WITH 350 MEMBERS 🆕 NEW THIS WEEK
FL · 7 years in operation
Asking: $575,000 | Revenue: $715,316 | Cash Flow: $225,410
Rev Multiple: 0.80x | CF Multiple: 2.55x | Score: 7.5/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 2.75x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.2x over, self-financing at current rates
32% cash flow margin — 32% of every revenue dollar reaches the owner
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Staff in place — not a job replacement; buyer steps into an operator role
Operates without owner's daily presence — lower key-person risk at transition
Suntree, Florida lash and waxing studio, a franchise resale that has run since 2019 on a membership model, with roughly 350 active members and a 14-person team, 7 full-time and 7 part-time, already running the floor while the owner stays absent. The price is $575,000 against $225,410 in cash flow, and the lease is the number to read closely: the listing puts rent at $57,372 a year, which is just over a quarter of that cash flow. The seller is also offering the neighboring Drybar as a package, and the franchise transfer needs Amazing Lash Studio's approval, so ask whether you can clear it before you spend on diligence.
Deal #6: GROWING FITNESS FRANCHISE STUDIO SBA PRE APPROVED
TX · Health & Wellness · 8 years in operation
Asking: $650,000 | Revenue: $1,131,097 | Cash Flow: $278,069
Rev Multiple: 0.57x | CF Multiple: 2.34x | Score: 7.5/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 3.00x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.4x over, self-financing at current rates
25% cash margin — healthy for a Health & Wellness business in this price range
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Two-studio fitness franchise in Hidalgo County, Texas, with $278,069 in cash flow on $1,131,097 of revenue, priced at 2.34x. Eight years of operating history since 2018 and 17 employees mean the business has already outgrown its founder's own hands. The seller cites a wish to focus on growing the franchise as the reason for sale, which reads as a shift of attention rather than an exit from a struggling unit. A figure to chase in diligence: the studio's lease terms, since the listing states only that the premises are leased.
Deal #7: RELIABLE EARNINGS FROM WELL-KNOWN AUTO SERVICE FRANCHISE
TX · Automotive · 20 years in operation
Asking: $600,000 | Revenue: $910,860 | Cash Flow: $240,883
Rev Multiple: 0.66x | CF Multiple: 2.49x | Score: 7.5/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 2.81x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.3x over, self-financing at current rates
26% cash margin — healthy for this price range
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Victoria County auto repair franchise in the Golden Crescent, trading for about two decades (the listing gives both 2005 and 2006 as its start) with five employees and a retiring owner. The three-year averages the seller cites, about $856K in revenue and $246K in SDE, sit close to the 2024 results, so the earnings look steady rather than a one-year spike. The 4,000 sq ft shop is leased (get the rent and remaining term in writing), and the 2.49x multiple leaves room to pay a service manager and still cover debt. Confirm the certified technicians stay through the handover, because the shop's earning power rests on them.
Deal #8: Smoothies-and-Bowls $580K IN SALES, $3,625 RENT — ABSENTEE POTENTIAL
NY
Asking: $399,999 | Revenue: $580,000 | Cash Flow: $157,000
Rev Multiple: 0.69x | CF Multiple: 2.55x | Score: 7.5/10
Green Flags:
DSCR 2.75x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.2x over, self-financing at current rates
27% cash margin — healthy for this price range
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Staff in place — not a job replacement; buyer steps into an operator role
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Smoothie-and-bowl franchise resale in a Nassau County village, open seven days in 1,800 sq ft with staff already running it and app ordering and delivery live. At $399,999 for $157,000 in cash flow, the 2.75x DSCR leaves wide room for a buyer who wants to operate from the owner's chair rather than behind the counter. The seller pitches absentee potential, so ask what the owner does day to day before taking that at face value. The franchisor has to approve any transfer, and that approval should be diligence item number one.
MARKET PULSE — Week of October 23, 2026
9,254 businesses were listed in our price band across 12 states this week. 5,494 of them (59%) published both price and profit — the only ones that can be scored. We feature 8.
The inventory:
Average asking price (listings we scanned): $307,030 | Median: $255,000
Scanned 5,292 of the 5,494 scoreable listings (96%); the credibility screen then removed 1,140 — 415 missing a required financial, 231 byte-identical financials (whole cluster dropped), 227 implausible financials, 160 licensure-locked, 60 no stated asking price (band only), 30 near-duplicate relistings, 12 sold/unavailable listings, 5 non-acquisition (franchise-development & recruitment ads)
Price distribution: 38% under $200K · 34% $200–400K · 17% $400–600K · 11% over $600K
Where the deals are:
Florida led with 1,525 listings, followed by Texas (755), New York (691)
Geographic spread was broad this week, with inventory across multiple regions. Sun Belt markets remain the most active, but deals are surfacing in secondary markets that are often less competitive for qualified buyers.
Deal quality this week:
Best multiple among featured deals with fully disclosed financials: 2.08x (meaning about 2.1 years to pay back the purchase price from cash flow alone)
Strong week for deal quality — the top 8 averaged 7.5/10 on our scoring model. A high score flags a candidate worth a first call, not a confirmed buy — verify each one's numbers before you move.
One thing to watch: Six of this week's eight featured deals are franchise resales, and that changes what you are buying. The two independents are the Missouri lawn and landscape business and the Missouri niche sales and service business, both asking $700,000. A franchise resale comes with the franchisor's approval rights, transfer fees, and training requirements, so the franchise agreement, not the seller's pitch, decides what you can change. The same pattern shows up in the sector counts: the two Automotive deals, the Los Angeles County service franchise and the Cary auto repair, are franchises, and so is the Texas auto service listing filed under Retail. Before an LOI on any of the six, ask for the current Franchise Disclosure Document, the transfer fee schedule, and written confirmation of the approval process and timeline. Then price those terms against the two independents, which skip the franchisor but still need the landlord's consent to assign their leases. If a franchise seller can't put the transfer terms in writing, treat that as your answer.
THE WATCHLIST
What's become of the deals we've featured before.
⚠️ Jewelry And Accessories Subscription ECom Brand — no longer appears in our latest scan; it may have sold, been delisted, or gone off-market (first featured #003).
⚠️ Professional Insulation Installation Business — no longer appears in our latest scan; it may have sold, been delisted, or gone off-market (first featured #004).
💰 Recurring Revenue Lawn And Landscape Services Business — asking reduced to $179,999 (from $239,999) since we featured it (#001).
⏳ Busy Compact Business In A Critical Trade Niche — still listed 8 weeks after we first featured it (#009).
⏳ Huge Price Reduction! Profitable Franchised Check Cashing Store… — still listed 8 weeks after we first featured it (#009).
THE DEAL BREAKDOWN
$630K Sales From Just 800 Sq. Ft. Absentee Potential
NY
This week we dissect one deal in depth — chosen for what it teaches, not its rank in this week's list — Score: 7.5/10. Here's everything you need to decide if it's worth pursuing: the numbers, the financing structure, what to verify in due diligence, and the bull and bear cases.
The numbers at a glance:
Asking price: $410,000
Revenue: $630,000
Cash flow: $163,000
The SBA financing structure:
Down payment (10%): $41,000 — what you need out of pocket at close
SBA 7(a) loan: $369,000 at ~10% (assumed), 10-year term
Monthly debt service: $4,876
Monthly take-home after debt service: $8,707
Annual take-home: $104,484
Cash-on-cash return: 255%
Screening criteria:
Criterion | Target | Actual | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
CF multiple | <3.0x | 2.52x | Pass |
Revenue multiple | <2.5x | 0.65x | Pass |
DSCR (SBA 1.25x floor) | ≥1.25x | 2.79x | Pass |
Cash margin | ≥15% | 26% | Pass |
Financials disclosed | Full | Full | Pass |
Verdict: Worth the First Call — financials hold up and the lender math works; a high score flags a candidate, not a confirmed buy.
What's working for this deal:
DSCR 2.79x — clears the 1.25x lender floor 2.2x over, self-financing at current rates
26% cash margin — healthy for this price range
Full revenue and cash flow disclosed — financials available to underwrite
Staff in place — not a job replacement; buyer steps into an operator role
Franchise system — proven operations playbook, national brand recognition, lender-friendly structure
Quality of earnings — normalize before you trust the number:
[ ] Owner compensation: is market-rate replacement salary already subtracted from SDE?
[ ] One-time items: any non-recurring revenue (PPP, insurance claim, one-off contract) inflating the figure?
[ ] Personal expenses: vehicle, phone, travel, family payroll run through the business?
[ ] Capex: is equipment aged and likely to need replacement in years 1-3?
[ ] Working capital: what's the normalized WC requirement at closing?
The bull case: Open seven days with app ordering and delivery already running, this unit has the off-premise channel built, and the listing points to untouched catering demand from the offices, gyms and schools around the center. Selling into the wider northeast Queens catchment rather than relying on center foot traffic is a marketing lever, not a headcount one. At $410,000 against $163,000 in cash flow, the numbers show a 2.79x DSCR on the standard 10%-down, 10-year SBA structure, which is an assumption we model rather than a quoted rate. A franchise resale also hands a buyer an existing operating playbook, which suits someone coming from a corporate background who wants systems more than reinvention.
The bear case: The biggest risk is that the cash flow and the 'absentee' claim both lean on a manager the listing says can 'hold' the unit, so confirm whether that person stays and what they are paid, then re-run the $163,000 with that salary in. Franchise resales are subject to franchisor approval, so ask early about transfer fees, required remodels and any right of first refusal before spending on diligence. The listing says a long lease is in place but gives no term or rent, so get the lease and the rent figure in writing first. Read the franchise disclosure and royalty terms too, because a fee structure the P&L already reflects is fine, but one that steps up after transfer is not.
Key questions for the first call:
What's included in the stated cash flow — are owner salary, personal expenses, and one-time items already normalized out of SDE?
How many active customers in the last 12 months, and what's the repeat rate? Is the revenue base broad or concentrated in a handful of accounts?
How many hours per week does the owner currently work, and what specifically would need to be replaced or hired for on day one?
What does the trailing 3-year revenue trend look like — growing, flat, or declining — and what drove any significant year-over-year changes?
Next steps if you're interested:
Request 3 years of tax returns and P&Ls — match them against the stated SDE
Get a Preferred SBA Lender on the phone before submitting an LOI
Schedule a call with the seller to work through the key questions above
Sign the LOI only after financials verify and seller motivation is confirmed
AI Displacement Radar: Hands Are Hard to Automate; the Paperwork Around Them Isn't
Most AI-displacement commentary asks whether a job disappears. For a buyer the sharper question is which part of a business's revenue a competitor, or a customer with a phone, can strip away with software. Rank this week's slate that way and the order is not what the headlines suggest.
The ranking, by revenue that needs a human in the room
1. Lash studio (Melbourne, FL): the most physical, with a catch. The revenue is eyelash extensions, applied by hand, an inch from a client's eyes. No software absorbs that. The exposure is on the front end: booking, reminders, rebooking and review-chasing are exactly what AI tools do well, and that cuts both ways. They make an absentee owner more plausible, but they also make it cheaper for every competitor to run a tight schedule. The listing cites 350 members, a recurring base worth verifying (see below).
2. Auto service (Los Angeles County; Cary, NC; Texas franchise): hands-on, but diagnostics and writing up the repair order are software-adjacent. Two of these are listed as automotive and one as retail, and all three sell labor on a vehicle. The wrench work stays human. What software compresses is diagnosis, parts lookup, estimating and customer communication. That is the shop's margin protection, not its revenue, so exposure is moderate and mostly about who captures the efficiency. The premium for a franchise name also leans on an advertising pipeline that AI search could reshuffle.
3. Fitness franchise studio (Hidalgo County, TX): the most exposed. This is a judgment call, not a certainty. Members pay for a place and a coach, but a meaningful share of what a boutique studio sells is programming, tracking and motivation, and those are the things apps and AI coaches are getting good at. The room, the community and the trainer in it remain human. The monthly price does not.
What to do with this
Don't underwrite a deal on the assumption that the technology stays out. Ask three questions of each listing:
What share of revenue is billed for time with a person? Ask the seller for a revenue split by service line.
What recurs, and why? Dues and memberships only count if members stay for reasons software can't replicate. Ask for 12-month membership cohorts, not the headline count.
Who owns the customer relationship? If it runs through a booking platform or a franchisor's app, the platform owns the front door.
The honest caveat
This ranking is a judgment from each business's service type, not a measured exposure. Nothing in these listings reports revenue by task, and no one can state with confidence how fast these tools will change a studio's economics. Treat the order as a screening lens. Then ask each seller for the revenue split in writing before you pay for a number that assumes nothing changes.
Buyer's Workbench: One Auto Franchise, Three Checks
Pull up the Los Angeles County automotive franchise from this week's slate. Asking price $499,000, revenue $707,000, cash flow $240,000, a 2.08x asking multiple. The math looks easy. The listing is the seller's claim, not a verified fact, and a buyer's job is to test it. Three checks, in order.
Check 1: DSCR
Debt service coverage ratio asks one question: does the business's cash flow cover the loan payments with room to spare? SBA's current rule requires at least 1.25 to 1 for an initial acquisition.
On our standard modelling terms ($49,900 down, a $449,100 loan at roughly 10% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quoted rate), annual debt service is $71,219 against $240,000 of stated cash flow. That gives a DSCR of 3.37x, well above the 1.25x floor, and a stated take-home of $168,781 a year.
The pass is only as good as the $240,000. Treat 3.37x as the ceiling. If verified cash flow comes in lower, the ratio falls. At the 1.25x floor, the business could lose a large share of its stated cash flow before the loan stops working. Ask your lender what cash flow figure they will underwrite, not just what the seller advertises.
Check 2: The margin sanity test
Cash flow of $240,000 on $707,000 of revenue is a 34% margin. For a service business with a physical shop, technicians and parts, that is a rich number. Compare it to the other auto service listings this week:
Deal | Revenue | Cash flow | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
LA County automotive franchise | $707,000 | $240,000 | 34% |
Cary full-service auto repair | $1,300,000 | $250K - $500K (range) | ~29% (midpoint estimate) |
Texas auto service franchise | $910,860 | $240,883 | 26% |
The LA listing sits well above the Texas franchise on a similar cash flow. A fatter margin is not wrong by itself, but it demands an explanation: owner labor not replaced, rent below market, add-backs that flatter the figure, or deferred maintenance. Franchises also carry royalties, so ask where those land in the P&L. "High cash flow" is a headline. Your job is to find out what is inside it.
Check 3: The first three diligence questions
What does an owner-operator take out, and what replaces it? If the owner works the counter or turns wrenches, a manager's wage comes out of that $240,000. Get a local quote before you model take-home.
Which add-backs make up the $240,000? Ask for the seller's discretionary earnings reconstruction and tie it to tax returns and monthly P&Ls, not a summary sheet.
What does the franchisor require at transfer? Approval, training, fees and remodel obligations all hit the buyer. Ask for the franchise disclosure document and the transfer terms before you spend on anything else. The lease also needs a look: this is a leased location, so check term, renewal and assignment rights.
One more point: motor-vehicle repair is licensed work in some jurisdictions, and certified technicians are the business's real asset. Confirm who the technicians are and whether they stay through a transition.
What to do this week
Request the last three years of tax returns and trailing twelve-month P&L, ask the franchisor for the disclosure document, and run the DSCR again on whatever cash flow those documents actually support. If the verified number clears 1.25x with room to spare, move to the lease and the technicians. If it doesn't, you saved yourself months.
Disclaimer: Nothing here is financial or legal advice. Always do your own due diligence. Verify all financial data with sellers and your advisors before making any offers.
The Exit Ramp is a weekly deal curation service for professionals exploring small business acquisition. We scan hundreds of listings so you don't have to.
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