See our Certified Valuation Reports from $499
All of our valuation reports are signed and certified by an accredited appraiser.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not detailed below, please send your question to info@chicagobusinessvaluations.net We would be glad to answer it for you.
What is a business valuation?
A business valuation is a process to find out how much your business is worth. Often completed by accredited appraisers for purposes such as selling a company, tax compliance, litigation, strategic planning or to negotiate with investors.
What will my valuation process look like?
- Determine the right valuation product for you.
- Click and purchase the valuation product.
- Once the purchase is confirmed, you will receive the list of docs required, a valuation questionnaire, and a link to the secure dataroom where you can upload all documents.
- Once all documents have been uploaded the appraiser commences the valuation.
- If further information is required, you will receive an email from our trained appraisers working on your valuation.
- Once the valuation is complete, you will receive an email with the signed and finalized report.
Is an indicative valuation right for me?
An indicative valuation provides an accurate valuation range of how much your business might be worth. However it is not as detailed as a full valuation and does not come with a detailed valuation report. If your valuation does not need to be reviewed by an external party (i.e. the IRS or in litigation) and rather, is simply used for internal/strategic planning purposes, this is a great economical choice for you.
What happens if I have more than one entity that needs to be valued?
You will need to email info@losangelesbv.com and speak with our accredited appraiser to accurately scope your valuation engagement and provide pricing.
Is a basic valuation right for me?
A basic appraisal report is a certified report to USPAP standards, however it is in a condensed format. Each section of the written report is condensed in the justification and support of the valuation. It is designed for when there is little to no litigation risk. This report is designed for internal planning and compliance matters (tax & financial reporting) where minimal risk and complexity exists.
Is a summary appraisal report right for me?
A summary appraisal report is a shorter version of a full appraisal report and provides a concise yet informative valuation document. If you need a valuation for legal or financial purposes and prefer a more condensed and cost-effective report, then a summary appraisal report could be the right choice given it provides essential details about your business' value without the extensive documentation found in a full report. This report is certified and to valuation standards, USPAP.
Is a full appraisal report right for me?
A full appraisal report is suitable for business owners who require a comprehensive and detailed assessment of their business' value. If you're involved in complex transactions, litigation, tax matters, or want a thorough understanding of your business' worth, a full appraisal report is the way to go. It provides in-depth analysis, documentation, and full justification for the valuation in the report.
What is the American Society of Appraisers (ASA)?
The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) is a multi-discipline, international organization of professional appraisers, and the oldest one in its field of expertise. If you need a reliable appraiser, looking for one who is a member of ASA is recommended because they follow very high professional standards by providing education, training, and support for appraisers.
What is the difference between valuation software providers and non-software providers?
Some of the key differences are:
- Software alone can't provide an opinion of value (this comes from an accredited appraiser), hence it can't provide a certified valuation report and it's not advisable for valuations that need to withstand scrutiny from third parties, such as tax authorities.
- Valuation software is based on a limited number of inputs, and often the inputs are made by professionals who are not accredited appraisers. This can mean the output is either incorrect or limited compared to a trained professional capturing all the required inputs, necessary for reliable and useful outputs.
- Valuation is as much art as it is science. While a software can follow science, it can miss key qualitative aspects of a company or case facts that can heavily impact valuation results.
What is CFA certification?
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter is a designation given to those who have completed the CFA® Program and completed acceptable work experience requirements.
The CFA Program is a three-part exam that tests the fundamentals of investment tools, valuing assets, portfolio management, and wealth planning. The CFA Program is typically completed by those with backgrounds in finance, accounting, economics, or business. CFA charterholders earn the right to use the CFA designation after program completion, application, and acceptance by CFA Institute. CFA charterholders are qualified to work in senior and executive positions in investment management, risk management, asset management, and more.
What is ASA certification?
ASA-accredited appraisers are valuation experts in their respective specialties of all types of tangible and intangible properties. The meticulous ASA accreditation process ensures that ASA-accredited appraisers are accurate, impartial, and credible. They are educated and experienced in their fields and are respected members of their communities. They can deliver independent valuations that assure your property is appraised at its fair market value, or other relevant standard of value.
How is automation used in your valuation process?
Automation allows us to produce high-quality results with less human time involvement and risk of human errors. For example, we use proprietary software tools to automate the transfer of data between documents, minimizing the risk of errors while improving our time to delivery. This ensures we spend more time on our analysis and less on repetitive tasks.
What are the USPAP industry standards?
USPAP stands for the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. It is a set of rules and guidelines that appraisers in the United States can follow when they're valuing an asset (including a business). These standards are established by The Appraisal Foundation and authorized by the United States Congress to ensure that appraisers do their job correctly, ethically, and consistently by setting clear rules for how appraisals should be conducted, reported, and documented.
What documents will I need to provide for my valuation?
For the valuation we request the below (or let us know if not available/relevant):
1. 5 years (minimum 3 years, or since company inception if a lesser time frame) of historic financials (may they be accountant prepared, reviewed, unaudited, or audited).
1. 5 years (minimum 3 years, or since company inception if a lesser time frame) of historic financials (may they be accountant prepared, reviewed, unaudited, or audited).
2. tax returns for the same period as the financials above.
3. financials for the a) year-to-date period and b) last-twelve-month to the preferred valuation date.
3. financials for the a) year-to-date period and b) last-twelve-month to the preferred valuation date.
4. Depreciation schedules.
5. Future projections/forecasts if relevant/available. Include relevant comments and justification.
6. A valuation questionnaire which will serve a key input for our analysis.
What confidentiality procedures are in place?
Strict confidentiality procedures are followed at every point during the engagement. Documentation of the business such as financial statements that contain private and confidential information are treated as such, with secure digital processes and software, and human processes where only the staff involved in your valuation will have access to your data. The data is only used for the purposes of completing the valuation and never alternative purposes. Please see our privacy statement found here.
Are your valuations accurate?
Accuracy can be defined as that which can be defended against the highest level of scrutiny. Our valuations withstand this scrutiny from the IRS, DOL, in litigation, CPAs, attorneys, business owners & others, due to our proven process, justification and support within the report.
What is a certified valuation report?
It is a report completed by an accredited appraiser that adheres to professional standards and methodologies set forth by the various industry associations and tax authorities.
What is a business segment or business entity?
If a car dealership sells vehicles but also services cars then it has two business segments 1) selling cars and 2) servicing cars. These two business activities can have many differences when individually analyzed, such as cost structures impacting profitability, growth prospects impacting revenue and risk profiles.
What do I do if I have more than one business segment?
Send an email to info@chicagobusinessvaluations.net explaining you have additional business segments, and one of our accredited appraisers will be in contact with you to ascertain more information and clarify the price and process.
What happens if I'm unhappy with the value derived?
We do not modify results to meet clients' expectations. We follow a state-of-the-art process that ensures that our valuation conclusions are objectively defensible while being compliant with all appropriate standards based on available information. This process is what ultimately serves the client best.
Can you review a valuation I had completed previously?
Yes. We can provide a final verdict with a summary of findings or a detailed report review. These reviews will be based on objective information and appropriate valuation methodologies to support any client purpose as requested.
What is CFA Institute?
The CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit professional organization that provides investment professionals with finance education and administers the charting of CFA Charterholders. The institute aims to promote standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence in the global investment services industry.
What are the 3 Valuation Approaches?
The three primary valuation approaches are the income approach, the market approach, and the asset-based (cost) approach. The income approach assesses the value of an asset by estimating its future cash flows or income potential. The market approach relies on comparing the subject asset to similar assets that have recently been sold in the market. Finally, the asset-based approach aims to determine the net asset value (NAV), which is the difference between total assets and total liabilities restated at market value (which may involve appraising the individual assets and liabilities separately).