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In the end, a business is worth nothing more and nothing less that what a qualified
buyer is willing to offer and what a motivated seller is willing to accept.
With the current state of the economy
being what it is, there are probably more opportunities to buy or
sell a printing business at a "fair market" price than ever before!
Unlike in the past when many sellers had a
totally unrealistic idea as to what their business might be
worth, many sellers today are now willing to listen to potential
buyers, especially to those who are willing to make a purchase offer
based upon logical and fair valuation principles that both parties
can agree upon.
The same is true for buyers as well. Today's
economic realities provides fertile ground for printers willing to
make inquiries of their competitors who might very well be
interested in entertaining an offer to purchase. Some of these
printing firms are struggling to survive, while others are simply
nearing retirement age and no longer interested in making the
investments required to grow their business.
From the buyer's perspective, it is
important to note that a fundamental valuation principle requires
that the business being considered for purchase has the ability to produce a steady income stream sufficient for
the buyer to withdraw at least a "fair market" salary for
his efforts as well as enough additional cash to purchase the business.
Generally speaking, a business must be able to "buy itself" for it
to be a good investment vehicle. Consequently, a buyer will
typically look at key financial ratios, the current equipment mix, cash flow,
customer mix and potential reductions in labor and overhead costs as
various methods for funding this purchase.
From the seller's standpoint, he or she is interested in getting the highest price possible for the business with the least risks possible. Sellers, having owned and operated their businesses for many, many years, often tend to place an unrealistically high value on their business,
and this is to be expected.
However, without a logical approach to
determining the value of the business, and lacking excellent
financial records and ratios, the disparity between what a buyer
might be willing to offer and what a seller is willing to accept is often much further apart than it should be, thus discouraging one or both parties.
That's where we can help. We can help both buyers and sellers narrow
the gap between the asking price and the selling price
significantly, making a sale or purchase far more likely.
My valuation services are designed to assist
either both buyers and sellers, either individually or collectively,
in providing these respective parties with an independent, 3rd party
"fair market" valuation of the business in question.
It is important to understand that while there is no "perfect" price for a business,
there is a "fair market" price. This price may not be the
initial asking price nor the initial offering price, but it is a
price based upon sound valuation principles, and if the parties in
question can agree that the process and principles are indeed fair
and logical, then the rest of the acquisition process can proceed
quickly.
Information Required - My valuation process relies heavily on
three year's worth of financial data and uses widely accepted formulas for determining the value of a printing business. I also
use a 15-item questionnaire to more accurately determine an excess earnings multiplier or capitalization rate.
Below are two PDF documents listing the specific items I need as
well as our key valuation questionnaire:
VAL DATA REQUIRED.pdf
VALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE.pdf
What does the client receive? - The client receives a
8-10 page Excel Spreadsheet that includes totally recast income and expense worksheets, a valuation criteria worksheet,
as well as a written narrative report outlining the approach we used
and our estimated value of the business.
How long does it take - Valuations, once all the material is received,
are typically prepared in 7-10 days or less! However, we can produce a
valuation report in 72 hours or less in situations where
sellers or buyers find themselves in dire situations requiring
immediate action. Generally speaking, we do not charge extra for
this "rush" service, assuming we can meet our obligations to our
other clients.
How much does it cost - Our standard fee
for this service
is $975 and applies to most business valuations. Higher fees ($1,100
to $1,500) may apply in situations involving complex partnerships, property
settlements, partnership dissolutions, etc. Call for further
information. This fee is due upon engagement. We do accept MasterCard, Visa or AMEX . |