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Virtually every business has centralized management and/or relies on the talents of a few individuals. This risk of centralized management is taken into account for business valuation purposes in the company’s future earnings or rate of return (i.e., discount rate). In some cases, however, one person is the linchpin, and if he or she leaves… Continue >>>
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 >>>
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 >>>
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 >>>
In finance, we use words like price and value, as if they were interchangeable. I have been guilty of this myself at times. It is worth noting, price and value not only come from different processes, but are determined by different variables and yield different numbers at the same point in time. The essence of… Continue >>>
What exactly does the term “goodwill” mean when it comes to buying or selling a business? Usually, the term “goodwill” is a reference to all the effort that an individual(s) puts into a business over the years that he or she has operated that business. In a sense, goodwill is the difference between an array… Continue >>>
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 >>>
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 >>>
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 >>>
Top Five EBITDA Adjustments Oftentimes, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) are used as a proxy for a firm’s operating cash flow. While EBITDA can be interpreted in different ways, this type of earnings stream can be used to produce a value for a business or business interest by the application of a… Continue >>>
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