Business Valuation Tacoma Washington
Assessing Business Value in Tacoma
Have you ever wondered how much your business is actually worth? Finding that number can be a difficult process involving a whole slew of factors, from where you’re located to what “value” means to you. 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 Tacoma business. This seems like it could be overwhelming, but it shouldn’t be. At Redwood Valuation, we built our foundation on years of experience that we leverage to assist our customers seeking business valuations.
409A Valuation, IRC 409A Valuation, Purchase Price Allocation in Tacoma, WA
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.
A business valuation can also help show you where your business’ value comes 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 Tacoma may have a high value for that particular community, but not for a potential buyer. By the same token, hidden value may lurk in a business that doesn’t seem as impressive at first glance. It comes down to the details.
It’s imperative, then, that your business valuation is handled by professionals. An accountant doing a valuation needs to know tax law, the audit process and finance, as well as information about your business. The advantages of doing a business valuation correctly include understanding your selling price and stock compensation. 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.
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. While there may be other approaches, these three encompass the main methods of assessing a business’ value. These approaches to business valuation are applicable whether your business is located in Spokane or not. Each business has its own particulars that will ultimately determine the approach that is the most appropriate for it.
Asset-Based Approach
While it may sound obvious, there are actually a few approaches to looking at a business’s assets The aim of an asset-based approach is to total the investments of a business. One way to go about looking at a business’s assets is by figuring out how much it would cost to set up a brand new business that mimics the existing one. 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.
It sounds straightforward, but there are hidden complexities. 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.
A going concern asset-based approach is a little more straightforward. Simply put, the accountant can subtract the value of any liabilities from the assets that the business has. 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.
Choosing an asset focused method of business valuation maybe right for your business. Asset-based approaches are not appropriate for all business. As one example, a business that is owned in the name of a single person ”a sole proprietorship” should be advised not to take this 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
It can be useful in a valuation to look at the bigger picture and see what a business is worth compared to the rest of the market. The value of other businesses in Tacoma could provide insight on your own. A method that uses comparison to determine value take into account other factors impacting the market as a whole.
This approach has the benefit of viewing overall market conditions rather than having a more narrow focus. Some important considerations for this approach include the current fair market value of similar businesses and what price buyers are paying right now for businesses like yours.
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
An income- or earning-based approach is different from the other two in that it is concerned with future potential. 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. 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. How customers view a business is a factor that is not captured in income figures or market values but that can impact a business’s value.
Types of Valuations
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. There are other value assessments that serve difficult purposes. A different reason for a valuation could include something such as intellectual property.
What is a 409A Valuation?
A 409A valuation is conducted for the purpose of evaluating the stocks associated with the company. It is common for employees in many fields to receive stocks as compensation. 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.
It’s not as confusing as it seems. It simply means those stocks have to be accounted for. 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. 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.
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. Experience and expertise are key benefits that only an accountant can offer if you have to work through a 409A valuation.
Valuations for Businesses
A business valuation is a general term and can be suitable for a myriad of situations, including during negotiations, while planning a business or during entity conversations. Perhaps you are interested in finding the likely selling price of your business on the market. Others desire a business valuation when researching things such as tax liability.
A practiced accountant can help navigate enterprise and equity valuations for businesses. At Redwood, we’ve seen our clients’ needs expand as our own business has expanded. 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.
IRS regulations, business needs and finance are complex fields that call for knowledge and specialization. While you’re concerned with your business running smoothly, let experts tackle the ins and outs of a getting a valuation done.
How to Assess IP and Patents
Patents and intellectual property also require their own valuations. 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. 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. Despite the difficulty, IP and patents are extremely valuable assets that every business should seek to protect as well as they can.
Assessing Purchase Price Allocations for Business
You may be required to do a purchase price allocation. 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.
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. 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.
The Last Word on Business Valuations
Come to Redwood Valuation Partners when the time comes for your business valuation. Ensure that your Tacoma 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. You also could seek a business valuation in order to protect 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.
One of our core values is teamwork, which we believe can help even in the complex world of venture capital and auditing. Our valuation associates and analysts have worked in their field for years, becoming respected experts. Many of the people we work with come from high-pressure environments with tough 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.
Our principles when working with clients include intense focus, long experience and grounded expertise, no matter the cause for the valuation. We go beyond the standard valuation to offer a free consultation, as well as audit defense and customized reports. If you aren’t sure where to start, we can guide you through the process right from the start. Take a deeper look at your business with the customized report we provide as part of our valuations. See both subjective and objective elements of your valuation with an in-depth look at your 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. Don’t try to tackle this task alone when Redwood is ready and able to help you with the process. 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 Tacoma, 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 Tacoma
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
