Business Valuation Renton Washington
How are Renton, WA Businesses Valued?
Have you ever assessed the value of your Renton business? Assessing the value of your Renton business can be more complicated than just working out the value of its assets. The value of a business might change depending on who you ask, but luckily there are certain consistent principles applied to any business valuation that is performed. This might seem complicated, but we can help. 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 Renton, WA plus IRC 409A Valuation, and Purchase Price Allocation
Call Redwood Valuation Partners for your next business valuation (206) 660-1295
Why Get Your Renton Business Valued?
If you want to know exactly how much your business may be worth if you sold it, you should seek a business valuation. 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 shows not just overall worth, but also where that value originates from. The value of any one business could come from entirely different sources than a different business. A local business that is important to the community in Renton may have a high value for that particular community, but not for a potential buyer. Likewise, a business that seems like a tiny startup could have a ton of hidden value for the right buyer. It all depends on your perspective.
That’s why expertise is crucial in a business valuation. 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. 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.
Different Ways of Approaching Business Valuation
There are three main approaches to business valuation that an accountant or business valuator will use. There could be other approaches to business valuation, but the three described here encompass the most common methods. No matter where your business is located, these methods can help you find your business’s value. 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
There are several asset-based approaches possible for business valuation. 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. Assets and liabilities are much easier to see through this theoretical new business. The next step involves balancing the assets and liabilities in order to calculate how much value the business holds.
Of course, this approach is deceptively simple. 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. 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. The net cash received from such a liquidation is the business’ value.
Choosing an asset focused method of business valuation maybe right for your business. Asset-based approaches are not appropriate for all 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, however, could find value in an assessment that is asset-based, as its assets are owned by the entire company and not one person.
Looking at 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 Renton. The goal is to see what your business would be worth by comparing it to other similar businesses.
This approach has the benefit of viewing overall market conditions rather than having a more narrow focus. 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.
Looking at Income or Earnings
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.
Of course, assessing value this way comes along with the risk of assumptions and predictions that invite uncertainty. Some of this uncertainty is offset by the ability to use concrete data to calculate this valuation. The accountant doing the valuation can even “normalize” figures to remove unusual spikes or dips that could make the assessment less precise. Additionally, capitalization factors may indicate abnormalities in the market itself that should be considered during a valuation.
Again, sole proprietorship and the exact style of business can impact the ultimate valuation here. If a business is strongly linked with its owner and that owner sells or leaves the business, an evaluation based on past performance could lose its validity depending on how customers react to the change.
Different Kinds of Business Valuations
Not all valuations are the same and not all valuations are confined strictly to businesses. There are other value assessments that serve difficult purposes. Others focus on things such as patents and intellectual property.
Getting a 409A Valuation
A 409A 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. Such businesses need a 409A valuation because that stock is considered a form of income offered in one year but paid out 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. 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.
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. They can also help you choose the best approach to this valuation for your circumstances and business needs.
Business Valuations/Looking at Business Valuations
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. Or you might be hoping to assess your tax liability by looking at your business’ value.
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. 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. A valuation is an added complexity on top of keeping your business running, so allow our accountants to handle valuations for you.
How to Assess IP and Patents
Intellectual property and patents have separate valuation concerns. However, this type of valuation can impact a wide range of businesses. Some of our clients have concerns about trademarks and trade secrets, while others want to make sure they stay in compliance with taxes. Other reasons for IP and patent valuations include business planning, mergers and acquisitions and litigation support.
Once you have a patent or intellectual property that has value, you need to make sure it is protected. It is sometimes complicated to find the value of these intangible assets. 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.
Assessing Purchase Price Allocations for Business
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. 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. 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
At Redwood Valuation Partners, we are experts in business valuation. Whether your business is in Renton 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.
Knowing the fair market value of your business can help your future. This may be because you intend to sell your company or because you want to stay in compliance with 409A. You also could seek a business valuation in order to protect a patent. Assets and liabilities are complicated. Get experts on your side who know how to cut through the complicated legal language to get you the information you need. 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. At Redwood, we have built a team grounded in years of expertise and business knowledge. We understand that many of our clients come from high-pressure startups and growth-focused companies with tight deadlines. We let you get to the important work of running your business while we take care of the intricacies of business valuation.
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. If you aren’t sure where to start, we can guide you through the process right from the start. The customized reports we include with our valuations give you insight into the details of all of your businesses assets. Get a deeper look at your business that includes objective factors as well as subjective ones during the assessment. And if an audit should come up, you can rest easy knowing our audit defense has your back at any time.
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. A free consultation may be the perfect starting point.
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 Renton, 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 Renton
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
