Dog daycares, boarding facilities, grooming salons, and training businesses across the Triangle are doing strong revenue — and buyer demand is real. Here is what the sale process looks like and what determines your value.
Jon Tennant
Jon Tennant Real Estate & Business Brokerage · Midtown Mergers and Acquisitions
~2.62x
Average SDE multiple for pet services businesses
~0.63x
Average revenue multiple in the category
4–7 mo
Typical listing-to-close timeline in NC
Pet ownership in the United States has grown steadily for decades, and the Triangle is no exception. Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and the surrounding suburbs are home to a high concentration of dual-income professional households — exactly the demographic that spends on premium pet care. Dog daycares, boarding facilities, grooming salons, and pet training businesses across the Triangle are doing strong revenue, and buyer demand for quality pet services businesses is real. If you own a pet services business in North Carolina and are thinking about your exit, here is what the sale process looks like and what determines your value.
Pet services businesses are valued primarily using seller's discretionary earnings (SDE) with a multiple applied based on business type, recurring revenue characteristics, and operational stability. Based on BizBuySell transaction data, pet services businesses average approximately 2.62x SDE overall, with the average revenue multiple running approximately 0.63x.
Within the category, there is meaningful variation based on the type of business and its revenue model.
With high recurring client volume, documented reservation history, and stable staff tend to command multiples at the higher end. The recurring, subscription-like nature of clients who bring dogs weekly or board regularly creates predictable cash flow that buyers value.
Often more owner-dependent if the owner is the primary groomer. A solo groomer with a loyal book is harder to transfer than a multi-groomer salon where clients have relationships with the staff as a whole.
Low overhead and high margins, but often tied directly to the owner's vehicle, schedule, and personal client relationships. These can be harder to sell at a premium unless the owner has built a team of mobile groomers with their own assigned client routes.
The most important value driver in a pet services business is how sticky your clients are. Dog daycare clients who bring their dogs two to three times a week, every week, generate revenue that buyers can project forward with confidence. Boarding clients who return for every vacation and holiday are nearly as predictable.
Before going to market, pull together your client retention data. How many unique clients did you serve in the last 12 months? What percentage came back at least monthly? How many are on a recurring daycare schedule or membership plan? These numbers tell the buyer whether they are acquiring a loyal client base or a transactional one.
A daycare with 80 clients on monthly unlimited or discounted package plans has visible, committed recurring revenue that makes the business easier to value and easier to finance.
Pet care businesses are labor-intensive. The number of animals you can safely handle is directly limited by staffing, and client trust is often built with specific staff members as much as with the business itself. Before going to market, consider how operationally dependent the business is on you personally.
If you open every morning, you manage all client communications, and you are the primary relationship holder for your top clients, a buyer will see significant transition risk. If you have a manager who handles day-to-day operations, staff who have been with the business for two or more years, and client relationships distributed across the team, the business is far more transferable.
Dog daycares and boarding facilities in North Carolina must comply with the NC Animal Welfare Act and are subject to inspection by the NC Department of Agriculture if they board animals for compensation. Understanding your inspection history and current compliance status is important before going to market.
Your facility lease is also a critical due diligence item. A buyer needs adequate time remaining on the lease to justify the acquisition price. If your lease has 18 months or less remaining without a renewal option, buyers will either discount significantly or require a new lease to be negotiated with the landlord before closing.
Reservation history, membership counts, and client visit frequency are the data buyers use to validate your revenue.
How long have your key employees been with you? Is there a manager capable of running daily operations without owner involvement?
Three years of tax returns and profit and loss statements that reconcile with your booking software revenue. Businesses that take significant cash tips or underreport revenue face the same documentation challenges as any cash-adjacent business.
Is the space set up efficiently for the animal volume you are handling? Does it have the ventilation, drainage, and safety features buyers expect?
Pet services businesses are SBA-eligible acquisitions when they have documented financial history and adequate cash flow. Dog daycares and boarding facilities with recurring revenue profiles and stable staff are generally favorable SBA loan candidates.
Note: as of October 1, 2026, SBA loans of $3 million or more require a quality of earnings report.
At Jon Tennant Real Estate and Business Brokerage, operating under Midtown Mergers and Acquisitions, we work with pet services business owners across North Carolina who are planning their exit. Reach out for a confidential consultation and valuation.
Get a confidential, no-obligation valuation and a straight read on what your business is worth in today's North Carolina market.
Request a Confidential Consultation