Business valuations are almost always difficult and often complex. A valuation is also frequently subject to the judgment of the person conducting it. In addition, the person conducting the valuation must assume that the information furnished to him or her is accurate.
Here are some issues that must be considered when arriving at a value for the business:
Product Diversity – Firms with just a...Read More
If you were to draw a picture that visually represents your role in your business, what would it look like? Are you at the top of a traditional Pyramid-like organizational chart, or are you stuck in the middle of your business, like a hub in a bicycle wheel?
As anyone who has tried to fly United when Chicago has been hit by a snowstorm knows, a hub-and-spoke model is only as strong as the hub....Read More
Consider two different companies in virtually the same industry. Both companies have an EBITDA of $6 million – but, they have very different valuations. One is valued at five times EBITDA, pricing it at $30 million. The other is valued at seven times EBITDA, making it $42 million. What’s the difference?
One can look at the usual checklist for the answer, such as:
The Market...Read More
If you’re wondering when is the right time to sell your business, you may want to wait until your company is generating $1 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).
What’s so special about the million-dollar mark?
The EBITDA million dollar mark is a tipping point at which the number of buyers interested in acquiring your business goes up...Read More
The value of your company is partly determined by your industry. For example, cloud-based software companies are generally worth a lot more than printing companies these days.
However, when we analyze businesses in the same industry, we still see major variations in valuation. So we dug through the data available to us from our partners at The Sellability Score and we found 10 things that will...Read More
Two businesses for sale could report the same numeric value for “earnings” and yet be far from equal. Three factors of earnings are listed below that tell more about the earnings than just the number.
1. Quality of earnings
Quality of earnings measures whether the earnings are padded with a lot of “add backs” or one-time events, such as a sale of real estate, resulting in an...Read More
The initial response to the question in the title really should be: “Why do you want to know the value of your business?” This response is not intended to be flippant, but is a question that really needs to be answered.
Does an owner need to know for estate purposes?
Does the bank want to know for lending purposes?
Is the owner entertaining bringing in a partner or partners?
Is the owner...Read More
“As shocking as it may sound, I believe that most owners of middle market private companies do not really know the value of their company and what it takes to create greater value in their company … Oh sure, the owner tracks sales and earnings on a regular basis, but there is much more to creating company value than just sales and earnings”
Russ Robb, Editor, M&A Today
Creating value...Read More
There is the old anecdote about the immigrant who opened his own business in the United States. Like many small business owners, he had his own bookkeeping system. He kept his accounts payable in a cigar box on the left side of his cash register, his daily receipts – cash and credit card receipts – in the cash register, and his invoices and paid bills in a cigar box on the right side of his...Read More
1. Start with the business
– Value Drivers: Size, growth rate, management, niche, history
– Value Detractors: Customer concentration
Poor financials
Outdated M&E
Few assets
Lack of agreements with employees, customers, suppliers
Poor exit possibilities
Small market
Potential technology changes
Product or service very price sensitive
2. Financial analysis: Market Value...Read More