76,400 euros: the average selling price of small, operating businesses

Barcelona76,400 euros. This is the average price up to this month at which micro-businesses and small businesses in operation are being sold for others to follow. This represents a 3.6% increase compared to last year's average and even more so compared to the 67,734 euros in 2023. This is a figure from the managers of Reempresa, the business buying and selling market created in 2011 by the Valles-based employers' association Cecot and the Self-Employment Foundation, which has been collaborating with CaixaBank for ten years.

Precisely since its creation, there has been an investment of 281 million euros and 15,080 jobs have been saved through 12,100 companies transferred and 5,365 that are continuing, as explained by Cecot's general secretary, Oriol Alba. During this period, 21,750 projects have been processed. And a fact highlighted by the director of this service, Laura Sallent: 82% of the transferred companies continue operating afterward, 6% have been resold, and only 12% have closed.

The bulk of transactions are businesses with between one and three employees, which account for almost two out of every three closed deals; with commerce as the main transfer activity, at 32%; and micro or small businesses: turnover between €50,000 and €300,000 per year accounts for 56% of the total. The main target is micro and small businesses, although there are also medium-sized businesses. Reempresa not only facilitates the connection between supply and demand, but also assists with the business plan and all paperwork for the change of ownership, among other activities.

According to Cecot's president, Xavier Panés, the alliance with CaixaBank demonstrates the potential of public-private collaboration when there is a shared objective. Guillem Aris, Director of Self-Employment, highlighted that this initiative meets four essential objectives: it allows viable businesses to continue, safeguards jobs, "gives an exciting way out" to those who once set up a business and retire or leave for other reasons; and promotes a new way of starting a business. "Buying a business is seven times easier than starting it from scratch," added Aris.

Successful projects

Another important fact is that 44% of the projects sold have been successful. Although retirement is the main reason for business transfers, accounting for 45% of all transactions, it is not the only one, as personal reasons (23%), career change (12%), health (10%), and lack of time (7%) also occur. Sellers are between 60 and 70 years old in 34% of cases; and buyers are between 40 and 50 years old, the same proportion. Sometimes they are employees of the companies being sold. According to those responsible for Reempresa, "generational change will be key for the business fabric," and thanks to this instrument, created in 2011 and reinforced in 2015 with the alliance with CaixaBank, "we are prepared."