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Knowing how much your business is worth is not only for massive corporations — small business owners can benefit from this knowledge too. Your business’s valuation can help you to create more accurate and effective goals and is essential if you’re looking to sell your business. 

In this article, learn how to value a business, when you should find out your business’s value, and how to improve your valuation.

How to Value a Small Business

While you may be pleased by the results, your business’s value isn’t a vanity metric. A proper small business valuation can be important if you’re planning on selling your business, merging, buying out other owners, applying for a business loan, offering employees equity, or going through a major life event. 

However, there are different ways to value a small business, and the appropriate method can depend on the size of the business and purpose of the valuation. Understanding the common methods and why the outcomes will differ can be important for small business owners or corporate executives alike.  

Small Business Valuation Methods: How to Value a Small Business

There are several methods for valuing a small business based on its balance sheet, earnings, projections about the future, and recent sales of similar businesses. Each method has its pros and cons, and can be used in different circumstances. Here’s a quick look at five popular valuation methods:

Adjusted net asset method

An asset-based valuation can be fairly straightforward if your balance sheet is in order, as it largely mirrors what the balance sheet shows. First, add up the value of the business assets and subtract its liabilities to get the starting value. 

Then, to get a more realistic valuation, you may want to put more thought into the numbers. The adjusted net asset method requires you to use your knowledge of the business and current markets to adjust the value of the assets and liabilities.

For example, you may have accounts receivable that are assets on your books but you know you won’t likely collect the full amount. You should adjust your assets down to reflect real-world values.

The adjusted net asset method can be useful if you’re valuing a company that doesn’t have a lot of earnings or is losing money. It’s also a common valuation method for holding companies that own parts of other companies or real estate investments. If you’re considering selling your business, you may also want to perform this valuation to set a floor price. 

Capitalization of cash flow method

The capitalization of cash flow (CCF) method is the simpler of the two main income-based methods that you may want to consider when valuing companies that generate income.  

To calculate the business’s value using the CCF method, you’ll divide the cash flow from a specific period by a capitalization rate. You’ll want to use one period’s worth of sustainable and recurring cash flow from the business, and may need to make adjustments if there were recent one-time expenses or income events that you don’t want to include in the results. 

The capitalization rate (cap rate) is the business’s expected rate of return. This is the rate of return a buyer could expect to earn (not included their salary) if they purchase the business. It’s often around 20% to 25% for small businesses.

The simplicity of the CCF method can also impact its predictiveness. However, the CCF method can be a worthwhile valuation method if you’re looking at a mature and stable company that’s unlikely to see big swings in its cash flow. 

Discounted cash flow method

The discounted cash flow (DCF) method is another income-based method. It uses the business’s projected future cash flow and the time value of money to determine the current value. While the CCF is best used with companies that have steady cash flows, the DCF is best for companies that are expected to significantly grow or shrink in the coming years. 

The time value of money is the idea that money is worth more today than it is in the future. For example, if you have a thousand dollars today, you can invest the money, earn interest, and have more than a thousand dollars in five years. A discounted cash flow model takes this into account, which is why it can be also helpful if you’re trying to compare different investment opportunities. 

While the calculations can be a little complex, you can find an online business valuation calculator that can help. But you’ll still need to figure out which numbers to plug into the calculator.

The business’s cash flow statement is a good place to start, and projected cash flows if they’ve already been created. Additionally, you’ll need to know the discount rate, or weighted average cost of capital (WACC), which can require more complicated calculations. Think of the WACC as the rate the business needs to pay to finance its working capital and long-term debts. 

You’ll also need to decide how many years’ worth of cash flows you want to include. You could base your answer on how confident you are about the future cash flow projections, and use the same number of years if you’re trying to compare DCFs for multiple investments. 

Market-based valuation method

A market-based valuation depends less on the specific business than the current market conditions. With the market-based valuation method, the business’s current market value is determined by comparing the recent sale prices of similar companies.

Finding relevant comps can be difficult if you have a small business, but you may still want to look for at least a few comps if you’re planning on buying or selling a business. If you’re hiring an appraiser, they may also have access to databases with relevant findings. 

Even if the comps aren’t physically located nearby, an appraiser may find similar sized businesses in the same industry and can then make adjustments based on the area. You can also use the results in combination with the other valuation methods to determine a business’s value. 

Seller’s discretionary earnings method

The previous four valuation methods can be used for small businesses and large, publicly traded companies alike. However, the seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) method is solely used for small business valuation. 

If you’re planning on selling or buying a small business, the SDE method might be best because it can help the buyer understand how much income they can expect to earn each year from the business. To calculate the SDE, you’ll need to determine how much cash it takes to run the business. 

You can start with the business’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), or for a more thorough view, the business’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), which you can determine from the financial statements. Then, add back the owner’s compensation (because the new owner can choose a different salary) and benefits, such as health insurance. Also, add back in non-essential, non-recurring, and non-related business expenses. These could include travel, one-time consulting fees, and business use of a personal vehicle. 

Because the SDE is often used when a small business is sold, it’s not uncommon for there to be debates about some of the numbers. These can especially arise around the expenses that get added back to determine the value.

As an example, the seller might want to call a search engine optimization project a one-time expense and add that portion back into the earnings to increase the valuation. However, the buyer might consider this to be an ongoing project that needs to be revisited and paid for each year. They’ll need to come to an agreement before a sale can move forward. 

Reasons to Value Your Business

• You want to sell your business 
• You’re trying to attract investors
• You’re buying out the other owners 
• You’re offering employees equity
• You’re applying for a loan or line of credit
• You want to better understand your business’s growth
• You need values for tax-planning purposes

The list can go on as small business owners’ personal and professional lives revolve around their business and its potential. While many of the reasons above involve changes in the business or its ownership, a personal event (such as a marriage or divorce) may also spur the valuation. 

How to Prepare for a Business Valuation 

If you’re conducting a business valuation for informal purposes, you may want to do it on your own. However, hiring a professional appraiser (you can find one that’s part of the American Society of Appraisers) or business valuation expert (banks, lenders, and accountants may offer the service) could be a good idea if you need the analysis for more serious matters. The business valuation process can be complex for official purposes, and it’s good to have a professional guide you.

In either case, there are a few steps you can take to prepare for the valuation: 

1. Get your financial documents in order

Every valuation is going to be based, at least in part, on your business’s finances. Even the market-based valuation method requires your business’s financial information to find suitable comps. 

At a minimum, you’ll want the previous three to five years’ worth of your business tax returns and financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. Comb over these statements to make sure everything is accurate and up to date. 

Other finance-related documents, such as sales reports and industry forecasts can also be important, particularly for DCF and market-based valuations. 

2. Organize other essential documents

Depending on your reason for the business evaluation, you may also want to have copies of your business licenses, permits, deeds, and certifications available, along with any ongoing contracts with insurers, creditors, vendors, and clients. 

If you’re planning on selling the business or looking for business loans for your small business, you’ll likely need to share these along with your financials. You can also pull up your business credit reports and get your business credit scores from Nav to share with creditors and potential buyers. 

3. List additional intangible assets

Your business’s tangible assets (such as cash, property, and equipment) should be listed on your balance sheet. Some intangible assets may be listed there as well, such as copyrights or patents. But think about other intangible assets that may be providing value. 

An extensive email list, loyalty club, good rankings in search engine results, engaged social media profiles, and positive online reviews can all help you attract and retain customers. These types of assets could help improve your business’s valuation even if they don’t have a value on its balance sheet. 

Improving Your Small Business Valuation

Your business’s valuation is going to depend on how much money it makes and increasing revenue and cutting costs are the core essentials to improving your valuation. However, you’ll need to decide where you want to focus your energy.

Hiring a professional appraiser or evaluator might actually be a good first step, as they can give you the current valuation and help you identify your business’s strengths and weaknesses. They may even be able to offer suggestions for improvement based on what they’ve seen work for other businesses. 

There are also ways to demonstrate the business’s value to potential buyers that don’t rely on the numbers. For example, if you can show how processes and systems are in place that will keep the business running smoothly after you leave, buyers may be more willing to agree to a higher valuation. 

Or, perhaps you can highlight how your employees are happy and take ownership of their work. Low turnover can save the business money, and responsible employees can make the transition to new management easier. 

Make a Practice of Regularly Valuing Your Small Business

Learning how to estimate the value of a company can be important for small business owners for many reasons. Even if you’re not planning on selling your business or applying for financing, regularly performing a quick-and-dirty business valuation can help you track your progress over time. Taking a deeper dive into the valuation may help you uncover opportunities for growth.

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FAQs

• How do you calculate the value of a small business?

  In order to calculate the value of your business, you can start with a simple formula:
  
  Business value = assets – liabilities
  
  Your business assets are anything your business owns, including real estate, equipment, and inventory, as well as intangible assets like patents, intellectual property, or any incoming royalties. Liabilities are anything you owe, such as accounts payable, business loans, and even payroll.

• What is the rule of thumb for valuing a business?

  Ultimately, supply and demand will determine the value of a business. But rules of thumb can help provide a good idea of how much a business is worth. While this will change from business to business, you can use a percentage of your last year of sales as a multiplier to determine the value of your business. 

• How many times profit is a small business worth?

  Determining how much your small business is worth based on profit isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. There’s not a single formula, as things like your industry, past performance, and relative risk can all play a role in determining your business’s worth. If you use EBIT or EBITDA, the multipliers to determine a business’s value, your numbers can range from 80% of future maintainable earnings (FME) to over 500%. 
  In general, however, most companies that make less than $5 million a year sell for less than three times EBIT, and companies that make more than $5 million a year are likely to sell for more than three times EBIT. Meanwhile, small businesses that make less than $1 million tend to sell for less than twice their EBIT. 

• How much is a business worth with $1 million in sales?

  There’s no single calculation that can determine what a business is worth without comparing it to other businesses in the same industry. You also need to take other factors about the business into account, such as how long you’ve been in business. 
  
  Here’s an example., If your company is making $1 million per year with a profit of $200,000 EBITDA, you would say your business is making 20% profit. In this case, your company would be worth between $600,000 and $1 million. However, many would simply say that your business’s fair market value is one times your total revenue. In this case, your company would be worth $1 million. 
  
  It’s a good idea to get a professional evaluator to help you determine the value of your company, sort through the complexities of business valuation, and make sure you have a non-biased view of your company’s worth.

• How do you value a private small business?

  Most small businesses are privately owned, rather than publicly owned (in other words, selling shares on the marketplace). Thus, you would follow the standard formula of assets minus liabilities to find the value of your private small business.

• How much is a small business usually worth?

  A small business is typically worth two to three times its annual revenue. So if your business makes $150,000 per year, its worth would likely be $300,000 to $450,000.

• How much is a small business worth when it is sold?

  A small business usually sells for what it is valued at, which is most often two to three times its annual sales. If a business makes $50,000 per year, it would likely sell for between $100,000 and $150,000 per year.

• What would be the value of a small business that has $500,000 in assets?

  You can’t use one calculation to figure out how much a business is worth without doing a comparison with other companies in the same industry. Other factors like time in business matter as well.
  
  In this example, you know you have $500,000 in assets. You would then subtract your liabilities to get your starting value, and let’s say you have $100,000 in liabilities. So your starting value is $400,000. You would then need to adjust this value based on the current markets. 
  
  Consider getting a professional to help you find your business’s value and ensure you have an objective view of your company’s value.

• How do you value a company with no profits?

  There are many companies that are pre-revenue, meaning they have yet to bring in a profit. It’s still possible for investors to evaluate what the company is worth, though. Investors look at factors such as the experience and skills of the management team, the market size, how much competition there is, and partnerships and engagement levels.

• How do you value a small business with no assets?

  The most common way to value a business that doesn’t have assets is the market-based business valuation model. This finds the business’s current market value by comparing it to other similar companies that have sold recently.

• What is the formula for small business valuation?

  Many small businesses ask, “What is the valuation formula?” when they’re trying to find out how much their business is worth. There are five most commonly used formulas to find a business’s valuation: adjusted net asset method, capitalization of cash flow method, discounted cash flow method, market-based valuation method, and the seller’s discretionary earnings method. Each has pros and cons, as well as different instances that it works best in.

• What ratios do you use when valuing a company?

  There are several financial ratios that can help you understand the worth of a public company, which is a company traded on the stock market. These include the price-to-earnings ratio, the price-to-book value ratio, the price-to-sales ratio, the price-to-cash flow ratio, and the price or earnings-to-growth ratio. Each of these ratios can be useful tools for small business owners.

• How do you value a self-employed business?

  If you’re running a self-employed business, this means you work for yourself and are not an employee of another business. Small business owners are considered self-employed. You’ll follow the standard calculation of assets minus liabilities to find your simple value.

• What are the advantages of a valuation for a small business?

  Finding the valuation of your small business can help you see how it’s performing and create more realistic and effective goals. You’ll better understand your sale value when compared to your competition. You’ll also need to complete a valuation if you plan to sell your business.