“When it comes to the market for small companies, what's true in the best of times remains true in one of the worst: Businesses with strong profits and cash flow attract buyers,” reports Darren Dahl in this month's Inc. magazine,” in its annual feature on business valuation. “And for the rest of us, it's really, really hard to sell a company. That's certainly the case as 2010 draws to a close. The market for small businesses remains tough for most sellers. And even the most eager buyers are having a hard time raising cash,” Dahl adds.

Inc. has partnered with BVResources for several years to map out the marketplace for private companies.  How Much Is Your Company Worth? – a graphic based on 3,666 transactions recorded by BVR from January 2007 to March 2010, is available as a free download here.  BVR thanks Inc. magazine and Tommy McCall for the graphic.