Business Valuation Dallas Texas
How to Find the Value of Your Dallas, Texas Business
Have you ever wondered how much your business is actually worth? There are a number of intricate details that you have to evaluate in order to find your business’ fair market value. While the precise “value” of a business is a somewhat nebulous concept, there are consistent methods of assessment that can set you on the right track if you’re trying to find the value of your 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 Dallas, TX plus IRC 409A Valuation, and Purchase Price Allocation
Call Redwood Valuation Partners for your next business valuation (206) 660-1295
Why Do Businesses Get Valuations?
A business valuation could be conducted for several reasons, but often it is done because a business’s owner wants to know how much the company is worth. Anyone hoping to sell a business will be better positioned during negotiations if they have gotten a thorough business valuation before any talks began.
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 Dallas, 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. In addition to understanding your business, an accountant doing a valuation should know the ins and outs of finance, venture capital, tax law and other fields. But the benefits of a business valuation come in many forms, from stock compensation to expenses to selling prices. But the reasons and advantages of a valuation are different for every circumstance. We at Redwood offer a free consultation for clients who need advice getting started with a business valuation.
What Approaches Are There to Business Valuation?
An accounting 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 Dallas or elsewhere. The best approach for your business depends on your reason for getting a valuation and your long-term goals for your company.
Asset-Based Approach
Finding the value of a business based on its assets isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. 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.
The first option is a going concern asset-based approach. Simply put, the accountant can subtract the value of any liabilities from the assets that the business has. In the other approach, a liquidation asset-based approach, the accountant first imagines that all the assets and liabilities were paid off, as though the business was liquidated. After a real liquidation, the business would receive cash; this now becomes the business’s value in a valuation.
The specifics of your business may reveal whether this sort of approach is right for you. 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. By contrast, corporations spread out the ownership of assets throughout the company and could benefit more greatly from a valuation based on assets.
Market-Based Approach
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 Dallas. Viewing your business side-by-side with other, similar ventures can provide crucial information for figuring out the value of a business.
An approach that is concerned with the market as a whole takes a much more detailed view of factors outside of just the details of your business’s finances. 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.
Unfortunately, it is not always easy to get competitors with your business to reveal the sort of information needed for a market-based valuation. 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
An income- or earning-based approach is different from the other two in that it is concerned with future potential. By looking at the income of the business in the present day, it is possible to make a strong prediction about future value.
Obviously, this invites an element of risk in that the accountant or valuator is attempting to determine value based on a predication. There is, however, reliable data to back up the value assessment made through this method. 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.
What Kinds of Valuations Exist?
The types of valuations possible go beyond those meant strictly for businesses trying to sell. There are other value assessments that serve difficult purposes. Someone with a patent, for example, may also seek a valuation of their property.
What is a 409A Valuation?
A 409(a) valuation is conducted for the purpose of evaluating the stocks associated with the company. Stocks are frequently given to employees and contractors as part of their earnings from working. Stocks given to employees are regarded by the IRS as deferred income ퟀ�” income given to someone in one year but actually paid in a different year.
This may seem overwhelming. Ultimately, it is a matter of reporting stock earnings. A benefit of this form of business valuation is that it can determine a company’s fair market value. Fair market value is especially important here because employees with stock need to be able to sell it at or above that mark. If your company issues other forms of deferred compensation, including things like bonus plans, then this type of valuation may be required by law.
Often, you will know you need this type of valuation because it will be legally required of your business. Even if you have gotten a 409A valuation in the past for your business, the law could require that you get another one each year or every time a new round of funding closes.
An accountant such as the ones at Redwood can be a crucial ally in trying to sort through the 409A valuation process any time you find you need to do one. 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.
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.
A practiced accountant can help navigate enterprise and equity valuations for businesses. Redwood’s expert team has grown to keep pace with our increasing client needs. We have experienced accountants prepared for whatever your business’ specific valuation needs entail. Whether you want to find your fair market value or do tax or financial reporting on your business, we are prepared to help you through the process.
The intimate details of IRS regulations, business and finance can be a complex maze to try to sort through. While you’re concerned with your business running smoothly, let experts tackle the ins and outs of a getting a valuation done.
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. IP and patents are always under threat from competing trademarks and leaked trade secrets, as well as tax concerns. Other reasons for IP and patent valuations include business planning, mergers and acquisitions and litigation support.
Don’t neglect to protect your valuable intellectual property or patent by getting a valuation of it. It is sometimes complicated to find the value of these intangible assets. Despite the difficulty, IP and patents are extremely valuable assets that every business should seek to protect as well as they can.
What is a Purchase Price Allocation?
Another requirement businesses encounter is ASC 805. In the course of negotiations for a business acquisition, things such as liabilities, assets and fair market value need to be assessed objectively. Purchase price is the crucial outcome of such an evaluation of a business.
A purchase price allocation ultimately comes down to determining what various parts of a purchased business are worth, including assets and liabilities. Sometimes a business is sold in pieces and in such cases it’s important to find the value of those pieces before any transaction takes place.
What’s the Bottom Line?
Here at Redwood Valuation Partners, you will find the expertise you need for your valuation. Ensure that your Dallas business meets the requirements of the tax code and applicable regulations while finding the value of the assets, liabilities, and intellectual property you hold.
Often, you will need to know the fair market value of 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. Maybe you are seeking a business valuation for tax reasons or to assess the value of a patent. Don’t get overwhelmed by the details. That’s where experienced accountants come in to help inform and guide you. Our team has worked for years in business, finance, and tax issues, allowing us to meet the needs of a wide range of businesses.
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 understand that many of our clients come from high-pressure startups and growth-focused companies with tight deadlines. We value your time; let us minimize the burden of complicated valuation details while you focus on what you know best ퟀ�” your business.
Whatever your reason for getting a business valuation, we can offer client focus, experience and expertise that can make the process as easy as possible for you. Along with audit defense, we will give you a free consultation before beginning your valuation, which comes with a customized report. 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.
The bottom line is that a business valuation, for any reason, is best approached with help. Get Redwood’s experienced team to assist you as you work through a business valuation for any reason. 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 Dallas, TX.
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 Dallas
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
