Business Valuation Bellevue Washington
How are Bellevue, WA Businesses Valued?
Have you ever assessed the value of your Bellevue business? Assessing the value of your Bellevue business can be more complicated than just working out the value of its assets. The value of a business means different things to different people, but there are some core principles of business valuation that can help you get the right valuation done for your Bellevue business. If this sounds technical, don’t worry. At Redwood Valuation, we built our foundation on years of experience that we leverage to assist our customers seeking business valuations.
409A Valuation in Bellevue, WA plus IRC 409A Valuation, and Purchase Price Allocation.
Call Redwood Valuation Partners for your next business valuation (206) 660-1295
Top Reasons to Seek a Business Valuation
There are a myriad of reasons to get your business valued, but perhaps the most obvious one is in order to see how much it will sell for. Don’t try to go into business negotiations about selling a business before you’ve gotten a valuation from a skilled accountant who’s an expert in the field.
A business valuation can also help show you where your business’ value comes from. Teasing out all the reasons a business is valuable is complicated, though. A business that is important for a particular city, such as Bellevue, may have high value there, but not elsewhere. In contrast, a business that seems modest and small may actually hold a lot of value for a buyer. It all depends on your perspective.
It’s imperative, then, that your business valuation is handled by professionals. Getting your business valued requires knowledge of finance, tax law, venture capital and the audit process, as well as of your business. If you are interested in stock compensation, expenses or selling price, you will see a lot of benefits from a well-done business valuation. However, any advantages of doing a valuation are up to you and your business. If you need help determining if a business valuation is right for your circumstances, get a free consultation from Redwood.
What Approaches Are There to Business Valuation?
An accountant doing a business valuation will likely take one of three main approaches to assessing the value of a business. These three approaches are not the only possible ways of looking at a business’s value, however. These methods apply to an array of businesses, whether they’re in Bellevue or elsewhere. The best approach for your business depends on your reason for getting a valuation and your long-term goals for your company.
Looking at Assets
While it may sound obvious, there are actually a few approaches to looking at a business’s assets In this approach, a business’s investments are added up to determine value. An accountant going forward with an asset-based mindset is theoretically attempting to imagine what it would cost to set up another, identical business. This exercise can reveal a lot of information about a business, including its liabilities and assets. The difference between the assets and the liabilities of the company is the business value.
Don’t be fooled by how simple this approach seems at first glance. In practice, determining which assets and liabilities to include, and how, is a tricky process. Additionally, there are two different ways of going about this process: a going concern asset-based approach and a liquidation asset-based approach.
One method is to look at assets with a going concern. The accountant looks at the company’s net balance sheet to find the value of its assets and then deducts the value of its liabilities. In a liquidation-focused approach to valuation, it is important to imagine the business is liquidated before determining its value. After a real liquidation, the business would receive cash; this now becomes the business’s value in a valuation.
The type of asset-based approach you choose depends on your business. Asset-based approaches are not appropriate for all businesses. There are certainly some businesses, such as those that are in a sole proprietorship, that would be well-advised to take a different approach. A corporation, in which all assets are owned by the company as a whole, is a much better candidate for an asset-based approach.
Determining Value Based on the Market
A market-based approach looks at the market as a whole and not solely at your business. For example, you could compare your business to others located in Bellevue. A method that uses comparison to determine value take into account other factors impacting the market as a whole.
The advantage to this approach is that it looks more comprehensively at the overall business climate for your particular field. In this approach, it is also very important to consider what a buyer in the market would currently pay for your business and what the fair market value would be.
This approach encounters difficulties in that often other businesses are not eager to share their worth with competitors. Private and protected information such as non-competition clauses can prove a barrier to obtaining some of the information needed to make a valuation.
Income- or Earning-Based Approach
The difference between an income or earnings-focused approach and other approaches is that this means of valuation is concerned with the future. However, this method starts in the present, looking at the earnings of the business today to try to predict its future earnings.
It is not an exact science to predict the future of a business and therefore an earning focused approach can invite an element of risk. Some of this uncertainty is offset by the ability to use concrete data to calculate this valuation. One method to smooth the bumps in the road in this method is to “normalize” a business’s earnings so there are no remarkable costs or windfalls that could skew figures. Additionally, capitalization factors may indicate abnormalities in the market itself that should be considered during a valuation.
There are, as with other methods, additional considerations here, such as the type of business you run. Sole proprietorship could mean that a business’s identity is so closely linked to its owner that selling it incurs particular risks that can not be predicted based on earnings alone.
Types of Valuations
The types of valuations possible go beyond those meant strictly for businesses trying to sell. A business valuation is not the only type of assessment that is possible. Someone with a patent, for example, may also seek a valuation of their property.
What is a 409A Valuation?
A 409A valuation is conducted for the purpose of evaluating the stocks associated with the company. Many businesses offer stock to their employees and contractors. When compensation comes in the form of stocks like this it is considered a special type of deferred payment that has to be reported.
This sounds complicated. It simply means those stocks have to be accounted for. Businesses that need this form of valuation need it in order to determine the fair market value of their business. Any employee offered stock as part of their compensation must be able to buy equity in your company at or above the fair market value determined through this valuation. In addition to stock, a 409A valuation is required if your company issues bonus plans, salary deferral arrangements, and other agreements involving deferred compensation for employees.
Sometimes it is a matter of compliance with the law to get a 409A valuation for your business. And if you’ve already gotten a 409A valuation, ensure you are getting re-evaluated once a year and/or any time your company closes a new funding round, in accordance with the law.
It is advised that you don’t try to do a 409A valuation yourself, even though you can, and instead, let an accountant deal with unforeseen difficulties that you aren’t prepared to handle. A Redwood valuator will know the ins and outs of this type of valuation, as well as the best approach for you and your business as you undergo this process.
Business Valuations/Looking at Business Valuations
Some of the reasons for a business valuation include things such as entity discussions and business negotiations, but they are also useful while planning a business or estate. Maybe you are wondering how much your business can sell for right now. Others desire a business valuation when researching things such as tax liability.
Whatever the reason, a skilled valuator can help you get equity and enterprise valuations. As our clients have expanded, so has Redwood, increasing the size and expertise of our team. With years of experience and a comprehensive team, we are prepared to take on a host of business valuation needs. Business valuation could include tax or financial reporting, assessment of fair market value, or for purchase price allocations.
It takes an experienced team to understand the intricacies of business and finance, as well as IRS regulations. A valuation is an added complexity on top of keeping your business running, so allow our accountants to handle valuations for you.
IP and Patent Valuations
Intellectual property and patents have separate valuation concerns. Patent and IP valuations come from many different industries in the business world. Taxes are complex when it comes to IP and patents, but it is also important to make sure trade secrets and trademarks can be protected. But you might also seek an IP and patent valuation in order to plan, and secure a merger or acquisition, or during litigation.
Don’t neglect to protect your valuable intellectual property or patent by getting a valuation of it. These assets can be difficult to appraise as they are often intangible and difficult to define. But the value of IP and patents cannot be understated, especially in recent times when so much of a business’s value comes from these assets in particular.
What is a Purchase Price Allocation?
Purchase price allocations, or ASC 805, may be necessary for your business. In the course of negotiations for a business acquisition, things such as liabilities, assets, and fair market value need to be assessed objectively. This is particularly important for assessing purchase prices in an acquisition.
A purchase price allocation ultimately comes down to determining what various parts of a purchased business are worth, including assets and liabilities. It is not always the case that a business is sold as one whole entity; it may be sold in smaller pieces.
The Last Word on Business Valuations
Here at Redwood Valuation Partners, you will find the expertise you need for your valuation. Whether you are comparing your business to others in Bellevue or looking elsewhere, a business valuation can show you the fair market value of your business and assets and keep you in compliance with any tax code regulations.
Fair market value is a crucial piece of information you should have about your business. This may be because you intend to sell your company or because you want to stay in compliance with 409A. Maybe you are seeking a business valuation for tax reasons or to assess the value of a patent. The intricacies can seem overwhelming. That’s where experienced accountants come in to help inform and guide you. Whether it’s finance, tax issues or business, our accountants are prepared to navigate the technicalities with you.
We understand the ins and outs of venture capital and auditing and take a teamwork-focused approach. At Redwood, we have built a team grounded in years of expertise and business knowledge. We know the pressures and stress of running a successful business. We value your time; let us minimize the burden of complicated valuation details while you focus on what you know best ퟀ�” your business.
Whether you want a valuation for selling, taxes or any other reason, we can promise client focus and years of experience when working alongside you. We go beyond the standard valuation to offer a free consultation, as well as audit defense and customized reports. We will even help you get started if you aren’t sure. And our customized reports will include all the detail you need to make business decisions based on your valuation. The comprehensive valuation report will include subjective and objective factors relevant to your particular business. Plus, you can take one less burden off your plate with audit defense that guarantees audit defense at any time without high additional costs.
The bottom line is that a business valuation, for any reason, is best approached with help. Redwood has the experts on hand to make your business valuation a painless process with lots of benefits. Find out how to get started with a consultation.
Our clients have direct access to Redwood’s managing partners and directors. You know your business better than anyone, and the valuation process includes subjective assessments that require your input. We guide you through this process, save your time, and allow you to focus on what matters – growing your business. Get a quality company appraisal in Bellevue, WA.
The Redwood team has performed many IRC 409A Valuation Seattle engagements, and we offer a wide variety of business appraisals to Seattle. Other services include ASC 805 valuation (purchase price allocations), IP valuation, patent valuation, impairment valuation, carried interest valuation, portfolio valuations, IRC 382 valuations, and many other types of stock valuations and business valuations.
With over 50 years of combined valuation experience, we provide top-tier expertise and client service at a reasonable price. Our experience as CFOs and Controllers of venture firms and startups separates us from our competitors who lack the boots-on-the-ground experience that our clients have, which we also share.
If you plan to issue stock options in the next twelve months or have any questions about potential valuations, give us a call for a free consultation and we will give you candid advice about whether a valuation may be needed and how we might help. Our goal is to help our clients achieve their desired goals with minimal burden.
409A Valuation Bellevue
Redwood Valuation Partners was formed behind an idea of service positioning us as one of the most well-respected companies in the industry. Our expert knowledge of finance, tax, venture capital, and the audit process helps us understand the difficulties of start-ups. We speak your language! Give us a call and learn how we can help. For information on Business Valuations follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook and find us on Google+ too! (206) 660-1295
