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Looking Beyond Cash Flow to Build Company Value

A value-minded owner should search for ways to lower the company’s perceived risks to potential buyers or investors by: Creating a formal business plan. Forecasts and projections facilitate due diligence and demonstrate management depth. But buyers might critique a seller’s business plan and modify them with their own assumptions. Budgeted and actual results should be… Continue >>>

IRS Estate Audits

The Federal estate tax is a tax on the transfer property at death. It is applied to estates for which at-death gross assets, the “gross estate”, exceeds the filing threshold. Included in the gross estate are real estate, cash, stocks, bonds, businesses, and decedent-owned life insurance policies. Deductions are allowed for administrative expenses, indebtedness, taxes,… Continue >>>

Startup Valuation Assignments

Startup type businesses get valued at various stages in their evolution. The key point here is startups need to undergo a series of valuation exercises at regular intervals; and the exercise is typically performed with limited financial data being available for the appraiser to use (with limited data being the norm). There are many approaches… Continue >>>

Separating Personal Goodwill in a Corporation Sale

A sale of a corporation under an asset sale arrangement should be carefully planned to establish the personal goodwill that may exist and if it is being sold in a “separate transaction” apart from the sale of the assets of the corporation. This is particularly true where a closely-held C corporation’s transaction deal is structured… Continue >>>

Three Aspects of a Business Valuation Professional

This is a good time to reflect on three important and misunderstood aspects of the role of the valuation professional: The valuation professional. The nature of the finding. How are the findings used. Role of the Professional: Valuation professionals may act as either an “appraiser” or “consultant” – but not both in a single engagement.… Continue >>>

Valuation & Business Concentrations

Webster’s dictionary defines “concentration” as the act or process of concentrating, especially the fixing of close, undivided attention. In business valuation context, it is assessing a company’s risk profile and financial outlook. The presence of substantial concentrations (i.e., risks) frequently results in a lower value, than what otherwise might be expected. Concentrations, from a conceptual… Continue >>>

Seven Critical Reasons for Obtaining a Business Valuation

Estate & Gift Tax Planning When transferring shares in a corporation or interests in a limited liability company (LLC), having a business valuation performed, prior to any transfer, will determine what the shares or interests are worth to help stand up to any IRS scrutiny. If the value of your interest, plus the value of… Continue >>>

Benchmarking (adding value)

Assessing risk is a crucial part of valuing a closely-held business. Business appraisers use risk assessments in the income approach to estimate rates of return (discount rates) and in the market approach to select valuation multiples. All else being equal, the higher a company’s risk, the lower its value, conversely lower risk (value drivers) increases… Continue >>>

Market Transactional Valuation Multiples are not about Averages

In October of 2003, I co-chaired a valuation roundtable session with Dr. Shannon Pratt, a highly regarded individual within the business appraisal profession. A question was asked regarding the use of market data in the market approach as it applies to the valuation of closely held companies. I thought it would be helpful to revisit… Continue >>>

Very Basics of Business Valuation

Very Basics of Business Valuation

The term “value” means different things to different individuals. I’m not sure who made that statement many years ago, but it still holds true today. The perceived value depends on the interpretations, circumstances and role of the shareholder(s). Without carefully defining the term “value”, a conclusion reached in a valuation report will have no meaning.… Continue >>>

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