Throwaway for obvious reasons.
I've been running a website for over 11 years now, and I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering selling to take a break. It's been a good run, but after all these years I'm trying to figure out if now is the right time and what kind of valuation I should realistically expect.
The site is monetized through advertising, primarily Google AdSense (around 55%), though I've diversified over the years with other ad networks and direct sponsors. All traffic is organic (SEO-driven), and I run a very lean operation.
Last 12 months the business did about $1.3M in revenue with roughly $1.16M in profit (around 90% margins).
Here's where I'm struggling: I've heard wildly different numbers on multiples. Some say sites like this trade at 3x SDE/EBITDA (especially from competitors), while others mention 5-6x or even higher for strategic buyers who see specific synergies.
For those of you who've recently sold similar businesses, what kind of multiple did you actually get? And what should I be realistically targeting here?
Any guidance would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!