When's the Best Time to Sell Your Business? Here's What I Tell My Clients (And It's Not When You Think)

Over the past 10 years, when do you think was the best time to sell a business?

Believe it or not, it was just after the pandemic. In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that American business investment had exceeded expectations, outperforming pre-pandemic projections by $430 billion. "The outlook for future business investment growth is encouraging," the report stated. "Firms are observing persistently high returns to their capital, and founders are starting new businesses at historic rates."

Across industries, 2020–2022 outperformed even 2019 in many metrics. Manufacturing, for example, "surged back" in Q3 2020 with record gains in output and hours worked, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .

The real lesson: It's not about timing the market

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