Anaheim and Garden Grove led the county with the highest number of sales: Each posted 15 transactions in the period. Those numbers are also higher than January 2008, when 13 businesses were bought and sold in Anaheim, and only three in Garden Grove.
The areas with the lowest activity include San Juan Capistrano, Stanton, Yorba Linda and El Toro, which each reported one deal.
Statewide, 1,074 firms changed hands over the month, up from 865 in January 2009. It's a 24 percent pop, according to BizBen.com.