Business Valuations and Consulting

The value of a business is based on two things: what it owns and what it earns.

HOW VALUE IS CALCULATED.

Owner operated businesses with sales of $1 million or less generally sell for the value of the assets, plus one to three times the earnings. If the earnings are stable and growing, the value is on the higher end. If the earnings are variable or declining, the value is on the lower end.

Businesses with sales of $1 million to $10 million may sell for straight earnings multiples of three to six. A thorough investigation of the financial information is required to uncover the true earnings capability of the business. Again, if the earnings are stable and growing, a higher multiple is used. If the earnings are variable or declining, a lower multiple is used.

Businesses with sales of more than $10 million often have specific industry criteria, which may be applied to determine the value. At this level, Buyers may be paying for market share, rights to patents and processes, additions to product lines, or the benefits of strategic or administrative consolidation.

THE VALUE OF A BUSINESS VALUATOR.

Business valuation is as much an art as a science. While business valuations employ standardized formulas and methods to calculate value, we works from assumptions that are based on our experience in the market place and our familiarity with the similar businesses. This process includes the selection of the most appropriate risk and return variables. In this way, our applied expertise leads to the best calculations of value for a specific business.