Real Estate Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
The 5 Biggest Mistakes Made When Getting A Business Appraised
Most business owners will, at some point, want or need to know how much their business is worth. They will be faced with the task of finding someone to perform a business appraisal or valuation. Since this is unfamiliar territory, the owners often make some big mistakes. Mistake #1 - Automatically Hiring Your Existing CPA Firm Business owners often assume that all CPAs are competent in business valuation. In fact, many CPAs have very little or no business valuation experience or training. Don't expect your CPA firm to tell you if they are not proficient in this area. Firms are often reluctant to; turn down additional revenue, admit their lack of expertise, and refer you to a competitor. Ask your CPA firm if they have any staff that are credentialed and experienced in business valuation. Then get an anonymous list of their prior business valuations by business size and type. Don't be too concerned if they have not valued a company in your same industry. Regular and recent business valuation experience is much more important. If they don't have adequate business valuation experience, ask if they would recommend a firm that does. Mistake #2 - Automatically Hiring a Referred Professional Referrals mean different things to different people, so you must ask on what basis it is being given. If it based on a brief meeting at a networking event, then don't give it much weight. Referrals based on reputation alone are only slightly better. Seek referrals based on first-hand dealings with the referred professional. All referrals, even high quality ones, need to be evaluated further to determine their business valuation competence. Mistake #3 - Using Rule of Thumb Formulas Many business owners believe there is some secret formula that can be used to accurately value their business. There are many rules of thumb and they are not a secret. Rules of thumb can be useful to get a "quick and dirty" estimate, but they have some serious flaws. No one really knows the quality and the quantity of the data on which they are based. The formulas typically use multiples that are expressed in ranges (like 1 to 2 times annual sales) that result in widely varying values. The formulas provide no guidance on how to select an appropriate number within that range. Most importantly, these formulas do not account for the unique characteristics and factors that affect the value of a specific business. If a business valuation will be given to third parties or subject to dispute, rule of thumb formulas just won't stand up to the scrutiny. Mistake #4 - Paying Too Little Business valuations typically cost thousands of dollars. In an attempt to save money business owners often look to get one on the cheap. There are a number of sources on the Internet that will value a business for substantially less cost. The old adage - you get what you pay for - applies here. These services use various formulas, proprietary data, checklists, and etc. to arrive at an estimate. Some even come with rather impressive looking reports. In general, these services are just high-priced, dressed-up rule of thumb formulas. Mistake # 5 - Paying Too Much Business valuation firms often set minimum fees and limit the levels of service without regard to the cost restraints of smaller companies. By omitting some valuation procedures that typically aren't relevant to smaller businesses and preparing summary-style reports, firms can legitimately and significantly reduce the cost of a business valuation. A high cost, full scope business valuation is often overkill for a small businesses. Look for a firm that can match your needs more closely to save money. Fees can vary greatly so it pays to shop around. Seek the best professional for the best price, not necessarily the lowest price. By taking the time to do some basic research business owners can avoid these mistakes, hire a competent business valuation professional, and get the most value for their money. Copyright 2005 David Coffman David E. Coffman is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who is Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He is the author of the "Guide to Selecting the Right Professional to Value Your Business". The Guide provides detailed instructions on how to find, and a comprehensive checklist to evaluate business valuation professionals. The Guide can be downloaded for FREE at his firm's (Business Valuations & Strategies) website => http://www.bus-val-strat.com
MORE RESOURCES: |
RELATED ARTICLES
Buying New Construction...How Do I Begin? The prospect of shopping for a new construction residence can be quite daunting, but the rewards of owning a brand new home out-weight the disadvantages if you know the potential pitfalls. The following are important considerations: Overall Dollar Budget, Location, Cost Per Square Foot, Finishes, Upgrades, Parking and Delivery Date. How To Build A Million Pound Property Portfolio Looking to quickly build a million pound property portfolio? You could try a high risk and speculative technique that has been used over recent years by investors hoping to make big profits from property.The technique relies on re-mortgaging and negotiating good discounts on off-plan property to take a £50,000 deposit and turn it into a million pound property portfolio within a couple of years or less. Curb Appeal First, lets start with what it is. Curb appeal is quite simply the rate of attractiveness your home projects to viewers from the street. Ten Steps for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Investor The secret to success in real estate investment is finding bargain properties that you can "flip" quickly for a profit. Here are a few ideas for becoming a successful investor:1) Obtain sound advice from investors who are already successful. A Real Estate Primer There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It's often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. Las Vegas Real Estate - Luxury Properties Las Vegas is known for it's over the top hotels and casinos, larger than life celebrities and jaw dropping shows.Over the past couple of years the Real Estate Market has taken center stage breaking national sales records in 2003 and 2004 with record appreciation rates as high as 52%. Get Rich With Mobile Homes Does the myth that mobile homes depreciate in value keep you from investing in them? Well, they do lose value in a park, on a rented lot. Mobile homes with real estate, however, are an entirely different investment. How to Make Money in Real Estate Without Doing the Scrunch Work If you don't have the time to invest working on fixers or if your tired of working on fixers to make money investing in real estate, try this method.Many real estate investors make thousands of dollars on brand new homes with little work. Dont be Tempted by We Buy Houses (Updated) Do you want to sell your home right away? Don't be tempted by "We Buy Houses" or "Sell Your House in 9 days for Cash" ads and billboards.Savvy real estate investors run these ads and put up posters looking for sellers under duress. Boston Real Estate - You Still Have Considerable Control Over the Sale of Your Boston Home Boston real estate is a hot topic. Daily newspaper articles comment on whether or not a bubble exists in the Boston real estate market, when and if it will pop, how interest rates affect the market, why Boston residents are snapping up interest-only loans, and how foreign investors in our treasuries keep interest rates low. Choosing An Estate Agent With so many estate agencies vying for your business, choosing the right agency can be difficult. We have put together the following top ten tips to help you find and use the most appropriate estate agent to sell your house. San Antonio Texas Real Estate The San Antonio, Texas real estate market is still going strong even after several years of growth.San Antonio ranks as one of the most affordable cities in the nation to purchase a new home. What Should I Do If My Home Isnt Selling? Suppose you've been trying to sell your home for months. You haven't had even a nibble from a prospective buyer. From Foreclosure to Forbearance - The Art of Negotiation As an active real estate investor you probably already know that the most important phase of your investment is when you buy the property. Most of us are getting the bargains in the foreclosure market. Land for Sale Think owning land would cost a fortune? Think again! While land prices on the extreme coasts motors upward, there are millions of parcels for sale throughout the USA that can fit into anyone's budget. There is probably a land deal that could make you a profit happening right under your nose right now. Buying Foreclosures - Knowing Why Helps You Buy One big potential deal-killer in buying foreclosures is the homeowner. If the homeowner does not trust you, buying their home (even at a foreclosure auction) can become a greater challenge. Choosing Your REALTOR ® With so many realtors competing for your business, how do you know which one to choose? Here are a few things to consider when choosing a realtor.The most important decision you will make in the sale of your home is the Realtor you choose. Budgeting Your Log Home: Where Do You Start? The Log home industry has matured these last many years, but there is still a lot of confusion about how much a log home costs. Naturally, everyone wants to know the cost of the log package; however, the budgeting only starts here. Budgeting Your Log Home - Creating a Checklist If you've read my first article, BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you start?, you've got a very basic overview of the process. However, there are still a number of questions I'd like to address. Branded Email in the Real Estate Industry Branded Email in the Real Estate IndustryYou're in the real estate industry, and that means you've got a brand. Chances are, you've spent quite a bit of money to build that brand, whether it's through franchising fees, marketing, websites, business cards, other print materials, advertising, yard signs, and/or through other means. |
List4Sale Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.List4Sale.biz 2012 |