Business Valuation Charlotte North Carolina
How are Charlotte, NC Businesses Valued?
Have you ever wondered how much your business is actually worth? Assessing the value of your Charlotte 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 Charlotte business. This seems like it could be overwhelming, but it shouldn’t be. The accountants and valuators at Redwood Valuation have the expertise and knowledge necessary to make a business valuation a smooth and seamless process for you.
409A Valuation in Charlotte, NC 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. If you are considering selling your business, it’s critical to get a valuation first so that you can go into negotiations with potential buyers armed with knowledge and data.
In addition to how much a business is worth, a valuation can show which parts of a business are valuable. Teasing out all the reasons a business is valuable is complicated, though. It might be surprising to learn that a business with a very high value in Charlotte is perhaps not as highly valued in a different city. By the same token, the hidden value may lurk in a business that doesn’t seem as impressive at first glance. It comes down to the details.
That’s why expertise is crucial in a business valuation. An accountant doing a valuation needs to know tax law, the audit process, and finance, as well as information about your business. But the benefits of a business valuation come in many forms, from stock compensation to expenses to selling prices. However, any advantages of doing a valuation are up to you and your business. A free consultation from Redwood may help you clarify the reasons for your valuation and the best approach for your particular business.
Approaches to Business Valuation
When assessing the value of any business, there are three broad approaches that are considered standard. There could be other approaches to business valuation, but the three described here encompass the most common methods. These methods apply to an array of businesses, whether they’re in Charlotte or elsewhere. Each business has its own particulars that will ultimately determine the approach that is the most appropriate for it.
Determining Value Based on Assets
While it may sound obvious, there are actually a few approaches to looking at a business’s assets The overall goal is to add together all the investments in the business. 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 reveals what that original business is worth (what kinds of assets it has) and what liabilities it has. Then, the valuator can simply subtract the liabilities from the assets to figure out the worth of the business.
Of course, this approach is deceptively simple. The difficulty lies in the details, where figuring out the worth of a business and sorting through assets and liabilities becomes more complicated. 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. A liquidation approach to determining worth is concerned with paying off liabilities before figuring out the value of a business. The net cash received from such a liquidation is the business value.
The type of asset-based approach you choose depends on your business. It is possible that a different method is more suitable for your particular business. 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.
Looking at the Market
Sometimes it is important to take in the whole picture, meaning the entire market, and not just your one business. This includes looking at other businesses in Charlotte. The goal is to see what your business would be worth by comparing it to other similar businesses.
The advantage to this approach is that it looks more comprehensively at the overall business climate for your particular field. An accountant using this approach will try to determine the fair market value of your business and what a buyer is likely to pay for it in the current climate.
This approach encounters difficulties in that often other businesses are not eager to share their worth with competitors. Some of the difficulty with a market-focused approach arises when you encounter non-competition clauses and other information a business has decided to make private.
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. An income-based approach tries to use current income and earnings to predict how much a business will be worth in the future.
Obviously, this invites an element of risk in that the accountant or valuator is attempting to determine value based on a prediction. There is, however, reliable data to back up the value assessment made through this method. Often, a valuator will “normalize” current earnings, removing abnormal costs and windfalls, to try to get a reliable set of figures to work with. The market itself can produce spikes and dips that require an additional capitalization factor to be figured into the assessment.
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.
What Kinds of Valuations Exist?
A valuation has benefits beyond just figuring out what a business is worth and there is therefore a lot of variety in types of valuations. Business valuations are just one type of valuation that is possible. Others focus on things such as patents and intellectual 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 may seem overwhelming. What it comes down to is stock options. A benefit of this form of business valuation is that it can determine a company’s fair market value. The fair market value determined by this valuation is a benchmark at or above which employees given stock must be able to sell. Other deferred compensation that requires a 409A valuation includes salary deferral arrangements and bonus plans the company issues.
It is important to know whether or not your business is legally required to get this form of valuation. 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. Experience and expertise are key benefits that only an accountant can offer if you have to work through a 409A valuation.
Valuations for Businesses
Whether you’re negotiating a transaction, planning your business or estate, or involved in entity conversations, business valuations cover a wide range of situations and companies. You may be hoping to see how much you could make by selling your company. Figuring out your tax liability is another common reason for seeking out a business valuation.
Equity and enterprise valuations are best handled by a talented accountant. As our clients have expanded, so has Redwood, increasing the size and expertise of our team. Regardless of your specific reasons for seeking out a business valuation, we can work with you to reach your goals. Perhaps you want to ensure compliance with tax reporting or, conversely, find the fair market value of your business.
The intimate details of IRS regulations, business, and finance can be a complex maze to try to sort through. You know your business, but evaluating your business against all applicable laws, regulations and financial considerations takes an expert in the field of business valuation.
IP and Patent Valuations
Finding the value of intellectual property and patents is a specialized field. Most businesses do have some sort of intangible property that want to protect and value, though. IP and patents are always under threat from competing trademarks and leaked trade secrets, as well as tax concerns. Litigation, mergers, acquisitions, and business planning provide additional cause for an IP and patent valuation.
Make sure your patent or intellectual property is protected by understanding what it’s worth on the market. Defining assets that are not necessarily tangible can be complex, though. 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. During a purchase or acquisition, businesses seek to find their fair market value, including their intangible assets and liabilities, to bring to the transaction. The purchase price is the crucial outcome of such an evaluation of a business.
The goal of a purchase price allocation is to tease apart the pieces of a business, such as liabilities and assets, to find its fair market value. In a transaction, a lot of smaller pieces of a company can be traded and purchased and it’s important to understand the value of all of these.
The Last Word on Business Valuations
Here at Redwood Valuation Partners, you will find the expertise you need for your valuation. Whether your business is in Charlotte or somewhere else entirely, we can help you find the value of your business or intellectual property and stay in compliance with the tax code and other laws and regulations.
Fair market value is a crucial piece of information you should have about your business. Whether you are looking to assess your value for the sake of selling or have yearly tax considerations, a business valuation will help. Intellectual property can be assessed and protected through a business valuation. 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.
While venture capital and auditing can be complicated, we believe teamwork and expertise can help manage the process of a valuation. Our valuation associates and analysts have worked in their field for years, becoming respected experts. 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” 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. Along with the obvious, our valuations include customized reports, audit defense, and free consultations. We will even help you get started if you aren’t sure. Take a deeper look at your business with the customized report we provide as part of our valuations. The comprehensive valuation report will include subjective and objective factors relevant to your particular business. Finally, you will have nothing to fear from audits, as our audit defense is prepared to protect you should the occasion arise.
In the end, if you need a business valuation, you will likely need help with that valuation. 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 you time, and allow you to focus on what matters – growing your business. Get a quality company appraisal in Charlotte, NC.
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 Charlotte
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
