Valuation

How Does Your Business Compare?

When considering the value of your company, there are basic value drivers. While it is difficult to place a specific value on them, one can take a look and make a “ballpark” judgment on each. How does your company look? Value DriverLowMediumHigh Business TypeLittle DemandSome DemandHigh Demand Business Growth LowSteadyHigh & Steady Market Share SmallSteady GrowthLarge & Growing ProfitsUnsteadyConsistentGood & Steady Management Under StaffedOkayAbove Average FinancialsCompiledReviewedAudited Customer BaseNot SteadyFairly SteadyWide & Growing Litigation SomeOccasionallyNone in Years SalesNo GrowthSome GrowthGood Growth Industry TrendOkaySome GrowthGood Growth The possible value drivers are almost endless, but a close look at the ones above should give you some idea of where your business stands. Don't just compare against businesses in general, but specifically consider the competition. As part of your overall exit strategy, what can you do to improve your … [Read more...]

Valuing the Business: Some Difficult Issues

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 single product or service are subject to a much greater risk than multiproduct firms. Customer Concentration – Many small companies have just one or two major customers or clients; losing one would be a major issue. Intangible Assets – Patents, trademarks and copyrights can be important assets, but are very difficult to value. Critical Supply Sources – If a firm uses just a single supplier to obtain a low-cost competitive edge, that competitive edge is more subject to change; or if the supplier is in a foreign country, the supply is more at risk for delivery interruption. ESOP Ownership – A … [Read more...]

Two Similar Companies ~ Big Difference in Value

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 Management/Employees Uniqueness/Proprietary Systems/Controls Revenue Size Profitability Regional/Global Distribution Capital Equipment Requirements Intangibles (brand/patents/etc.) Growth Rate There is the key, at the very end of the checklist – the growth rate. This value driver is a major consideration when buyers are considering value. For example, the seven times EBITDA company has a growth rate of 50 percent, while the five times EBITDA company has a growth rate of only 12 percent. In order to arrive at the real growth story, some important questions need to be answered. For example: Are the … [Read more...]

Three Basic Factors of Earnings

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 earnings figure which does not accurately reflect the true earning power of the company’s operations. It is not unusual for companies to have “some” non-recurring expenses every year, whether for a new roof on the plant, a hefty lawsuit, a write-down of inventory, etc. Beware of the business appraiser that restructures the earnings without “any” allowances for extraordinary items. 2. Sustainability of earnings after the acquisition The key question a buyer often considers is whether he or she is acquiring a company at the apex of its business cycle or if the earnings will continue to grow at the previous … [Read more...]

What is the Value of Your Business? It All Depends.

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 thinking of selling? Is a divorce or partnership dispute occurring? Is a valuation needed for a buy-sell agreement? There are many other reasons why knowing the value of the business may be important. Valuing a business can be dependent on why there is a need for it, since there are almost as many different definitions of valuation as there are reasons to obtain one. For example, in a divorce or partnership breakup, each side has a vested interest in the value of the business. If the husband is the owner, he wants as low a value as possible, while his spouse wants the highest value. … [Read more...]

Creating Value in Privately Held Companies

“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 in the privately held company makes sense whether the owner is considering selling the business, plans on continuing to operate the business, or hopes to have the company remain in the family.  (It is interesting to note that, of the businesses held within the family, only about 30 percent survive the second generation, 11 percent survive the third generation and only 3 percent survive the fourth generation and beyond). Building value in a company should focus on the following six components: the industry the management products or services customers competitors comparative … [Read more...]

What Would Your Business Sell For?

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 cash register. When his youngest son graduated as a CPA, he was appalled by his father’s primitive bookkeeping system. “I don’t know how you can run a business that way,” his son said. “How do you know what your profits are?” “Well, son,” the father replied, “when I came to this country, I had nothing but the clothes I was wearing. Today, your brother is a doctor, your sister is a lawyer, and you are an accountant. Your mother and I have a nice car, a city house and a place at the beach. We have a good business and everything is paid for. Add that all together, subtract the clothes, and … [Read more...]

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M&A Business Advisors represents sellers and buyers of privately owned businesses in a wide range of industries in California and Nevada. Our services include Selling a Business, Buying a Business, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Sales and Acquisitions, Valuations, Opinion of Value, SBA Finance and Business Consulting. Sell your Business, Buy a Business, How do I determine the Value of a Business, How do I Sell my Business Confidentially, What is a Safe Way to Sell my Business, How long does it take to Sell a Business, How do I Sell a Business in California, How do I Sell a Business in Nevada, Search Businesses for sale. We represent Sellers and Buyers in Southern California, Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Kern County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, San Diego County, Los Angeles, Torrance, Gardena, South Bay, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel, Upland, Woodland Hills, Chatsworth, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Camarillo, Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Fullerton, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange, Costa Mesa, Brea, Loa Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Fountain valley, San Clemente, Northern California, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, San Ramon, Napa, Sacramento, Nevada, Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Reno, Carson City, Tahoe, Las Vegas.