TheTenSteps

The business valuation process entails a series of steps that must be followed in a specified order, as well as several equations for estimating value and accounting principles that outline the rules to follow in specific situations. You’ll need a lot of experience and knowledge to execute this process properly. To get at a defensible value, you must not only follow the proper valuation process procedures, but also employ sound You must not only follow the required valuation process processes to arrive at a defensible value, but you must also use solid judgment when establishing the assumptions and projections that will be used to evaluate value. In this post, we’ll look at the procedures involved in the valuation process from start to finish, how they interrelate, and the judgment choices that must be made.

The 10 Steps In The Business Valuation Process

There are 10 essential steps to value a company.

• Engage the services of a business valuation professional. Making the appropriate judgment calls is when a seasoned business valuation professional’s experience comes in handy. Because each firm is distinct, as are the reasons for and circumstances surrounding each appraisal, the experience a qualified business appraiser brings to the work is crucial in arriving at an accurate and defensible value.
• Understand the purpose of the valuation. The standard of value, valuation approach or approaches used, and assumptions used in determining value are all determined by the objective of the valuation, and each has an impact on the value conclusion.
• Determine the basis of value. Consider the sort of value being measured as well as the views of the transaction’s participants. Is the value determined by the transaction price between a willing seller and a willing buyer, or by the present owner’s investment worth? Regulation, law, or contract may specify the basis of value, which may be the cause for pursuing the valuation.
• Determine the premise of value. The premise of value is determined by the goal of the valuation and the basis of value: going concern premise or orderly/forced liquidation premise. The former assumes that the business will continue to operate and that the business assets will be used; the latter assumes that the assets will be operated or sold separately or in a group (i.e. the company will not continue operation in its current form). Mergers and acquisitions are another example; in an M&A transaction, the buyer may reap benefits that make the acquired business more valuable than its fair market worth. This could raise the value hypothesis well above that of a going concern or orderly/forced liquidation premise.
• Gather relevant data. Financial documents, contracts, customer/supplier agreements, leases, loans, and all other responsibilities that will affect future business profitability must be examined; the client should assemble these records and present them to the appraiser. This business valuation checklist gives you a quick rundown of the data you’ll need to make an accurate assessment. In addition, the valuation specialist will compile data on the financial performance of similar organizations for comparison.
• Review the historic performance of the business. It is necessary to first examine the company’s history, ownership structure, and past financial performance in order to determine how the Subject Company has done in comparison to similar organizations. This allows for comparison with business value data from other companies in the same industry that are similar in age and size. The price-to-earnings ratios, price-to-book values, and price-to-free cash flow indicators of similar firms are used to compare the Subject Company’s performance to those of similar companies.
• Determine the future outlook for the business. In the viewpoint of a buyer or investor, value is derived from the expectation of future cash flows. The current strategy of the firm and its performance to date can be used to forecast future value. Future revenues, operating expenses, taxes, capital requirements, cost of capital, and market share can all be forecasted with this knowledge. Comparing these KPIs to those of other companies in the same industry can also provide insight into the Subject Company’s future prospects. Finally, the company concept must be valued. What is management’s strategy for generating value in the long run? Is it considerably different from the company’s current or previous performance? Is it conceivable? Excessively optimistic future estimates will need to be revised. Making predictions about the future of a company necessitates making a lot of assumptions. A valuation professional’s experience is crucial when making these judgment decisions, because even a small adjustment in any of them can have a significant impact on the value derived—and may result in an unrealistic, unacceptable value.
• Determine the valuation approach to use. The goal of the valuation, the basis and premise of value, and, in some situations, the availability (or lack thereof) of pertinent data all influence which valuation approach or approaches are best. The market, income, and cost techniques are the three primary valuation approaches utilized in the business valuation process. This article goes over the benefits and drawbacks of each technique, as well as the conditions in which each is most suited. In many circumstances, many approaches to determining value will be used, with the values generated from each approach being averaged to produce a defensible value.
• Apply discounts. A marketability discount will be applied to private enterprises to account for the inability to swiftly convert an ownership holding into cash. A lack of control discount is also used when a minority stakeholder is unable to influence crucial company decisions. In some circumstances, a key man discount may be used to reflect the value associated with a key person such as the founder; the company’s worth would be significantly lower without that crucial individual.
• Arrive at a determination of value. The final phase is to arrive at a value conclusion. A complete valuation report, which explains the facts and valuation approach or approaches employed by the appraiser, as well as the assumptions made in predictions, is frequently used to support this. By demonstrating how the conclusion of value was arrived at, this report proves its defensibility.

Merger Analysis

Although all of the procedures listed above must be completed as part of the business evaluation process, the first step—securing the services of a business valuation specialist—is the most crucial. A seasoned business appraiser has the benefit of previous experience to guide his or her judgment; a professional will have faced numerous identical situations that are relevant to your company’s worth. Most crucially, whether it’s for a tax assessment dispute, a marriage or business partnership dissolution, or a merger or sale, a valuation specialist will produce a defensible appraisal.

Taqeem team has helped companies in a variety of industries attain accurate enterprise and asset valuations. We have extensive experience in the application of all three valuation methods for a broad range of businesses and situations. Our valuation and transfer pricing specialists have worked with some of the largest companies in the region.

Contact us to see how we can help your company with your valuation and transfer pricing needs.