Know your number before a buyer names theirs.
An independent valuation for owners of privately held companies with $2 million to $10 million in revenue who are preparing to sell, weighing an offer, or deciding when to go to market.
Who it’s for
Owners considering a sale to an outside buyer
What you receive
A fully supported conclusion of value, the drivers behind it, and the risks a buyer will price in
How to start
A confidential call with our principal
When owners call us
The right time for an exit valuation is before the number is being negotiated, not during.
Before going to market
Set a realistic price, understand what a buyer will focus on, and decide whether the business is ready to sell now or would be worth meaningfully more with another year or two of preparation.
When an offer arrives
Unsolicited offers are common and often arrive with a deadline. An independent valuation tells you whether the offer is fair, where it falls short, and what to ask for.
Before diligence begins
Buyers will rebuild your earnings from the ground up. Seeing your business through their eyes first gives you time to document add-backs, address weaknesses, and avoid a late price cut.
How a buyer will look at your business
Buyers rarely pay for revenue. They pay for earnings they believe will continue after you leave. Our valuation examines the same factors they will.
Normalized earnings
Adjusted EBITDA after owner compensation, one-time items, and personal expenses are brought to market terms. Add-backs must be documented to survive diligence.
Owner dependence
If key relationships, decisions, or know-how sit with you, buyers discount for the risk that value walks out the door at closing.
Customer concentration
A small number of large customers raises the risk profile of every dollar of earnings, and buyers price it accordingly.
Revenue quality
Recurring and contracted revenue is worth more than project work. Predictability is often the single largest driver of a multiple.
Working capital
Most deals assume a normal level of working capital is delivered at closing. Misjudging it can quietly move the final price.
Management depth
A capable team that can run the business without you makes the company easier to buy, easier to finance, and more valuable.
How an engagement works
A clear process, led from start to finish by our principal.
01
Confidential conversation
We discuss your goals, your timing, and the business. If we’re the right fit, we agree on scope and confirm the engagement in writing.
02
Information and interview
You provide financial statements and supporting records from a focused request list. We meet with you to understand operations, customers, and what the numbers don’t show.
03
Analysis
We normalize earnings, assess risk, and apply the income, market, and asset-based approaches that fit your company, reconciling them into a single supported conclusion.
04
Report and walkthrough
You receive a written report and a working session to walk through the conclusion, the drivers behind it, and what a buyer is likely to challenge.
Common questions
How much is my business worth?
It depends on your company’s normalized earnings, the reliability of those earnings, and how buyers in your industry price risk. A credible valuation considers income, market, and asset-based approaches and explains why each was weighted as it was. Rules of thumb and online calculators can be a starting point, but they rarely hold up once a buyer begins diligence.
How is a valuation different from a broker's opinion of value?
A broker’s opinion of value is typically prepared to win a listing, and the broker is compensated when the business sells. An independent valuation is prepared by a credentialed analyst whose fee does not depend on the number concluded or on whether a sale happens. That independence is what makes it useful in a negotiation.
Should I get a valuation before hiring a broker or investment banker?
Many owners find it helpful. Knowing your number first lets you judge whether a proposed asking price is realistic, compare advisors on substance, and decide whether now is the right time to go to market at all.
Is the process confidential?
Yes. Engagements are confidential, and we do not contact your employees, customers, or competitors without your direction. Many owners begin the process before anyone else in the company knows a sale is under consideration.
What will you need from me?
Typically three to five years of financial statements and tax returns, current-year results, and a conversation about customers, operations, and your plans. We provide a specific request list at the start of the engagement and keep the process as light on your time as possible.
Not planning to sell for a few years?
An annual valuation program tracks your value each year and shows which improvements are moving the number, so the eventual sale is a managed process rather than a single event.
Start with a conversation.
The first call is a chance to understand your goals and decide whether we’re the right fit. There’s no obligation.
(540) 550-5279