Business Valuation Services
Know What Your Business Is Worth Before You Make Your Next Move
If you are considering selling your business, planning for the future, or simply want a clearer understanding of what you have built, knowing its potential market value is an important first step.
Squizzero, Carp & Associates helps Massachusetts and Rhode Island business owners understand what their companies may be worth based on financial performance, comparable transactions, industry conditions, and other factors that influence what buyers are willing to pay.
Our valuation process is designed to give you practical information you can use to make informed decisions about selling, improving your business valuation, or planning for a future sale.
Ready To Find Out What Your Business Is Worth?
When Business Owners Seek a Valuation
Every business owner has a different reason for wanting to understand the value of their company. You may be preparing for a sale, thinking several years ahead, or simply want to know what the business you built is worth.
- Preparing for a possible sale, now or in the near future
- Thinking several years ahead and wanting a clear baseline to measure progress against
- Simply curious what the business you've built is actually worth
- Navigating a partnership change, retirement, or an estate or succession decision
Our Business Valuation Process
Our goal is to provide business owners with a practical understanding of what their company may be worth in the current market.
We begin by understanding the business, reviewing its financial performance, and considering the factors that influence how buyers evaluate similar companies.
-
Review Your Financials
We review relevant financial information, including revenue, profitability, earnings, and historical performance. Looking at multiple years allows us to identify trends rather than relying on a single year's results.
-
Understand the Business
Financial statements only tell part of the story. We look at the company's operations, customers, employees, management structure, competitive position, and other characteristics that can influence buyer interest.
-
Analyze the Market
We consider comparable business sales and current market conditions to understand how similar businesses have been valued and what buyers are currently looking for.
-
Normalize the Earnings
Certain owner expenses, one-time costs, extraordinary expenses, or other items may affect reported earnings. We consider these factors when determining normalized earnings that more accurately reflect the underlying business.
-
Determine a Market-Based Range
The information gathered is used to develop a practical estimate of the price the business may be expected to achieve in the current marketplace.
What Is a Broker's Opinion of Value?
Not every business that appears attractive on paper is the right opportunity. Before moving forward, it is important to evaluate several key factors.
1. Market-Based Business Valuation
A Broker’s Opinion of Value (BOV) estimates what your business may be worth in today’s market using comparable business sales, financial performance, industry conditions, and other market factors.
2. Financial Performance & SDE Analysis
For small and mid-size businesses, valuation typically uses a multiple of Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE). The most recent three years of financial performance are reviewed to identify trends and determine normalized earnings.
3. Factors That Influence Business Value
Beyond financial statements, a BOV considers customer concentration, management structure, revenue transferability, profitability trends, competition, industry outlook, and future growth opportunities.
What Is a Broker's Opinion of Value?
A Broker’s Opinion of Value (BOV) provides an informed estimate of what your business may be sold for in today’s market.
The valuation is developed using historical sales data from comparable businesses, along with the company’s financial performance, operating characteristics, industry conditions, and other factors that can influence market value.
For small and mid-size businesses, value is primarily determined using a multiple of Seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE). SDE generally includes earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, owner compensation, owner benefits, and certain extraordinary or non-recurring expenses.
Typically, the business’s financial performance over the most recent three-year period is reviewed to identify trends and establish normalized earnings.
A comprehensive valuation also considers factors beyond the financial statements. These may include employee staffing and management structure, customer concentration, the likelihood that revenue will transfer to a new owner, recent sales and profitability trends, the competitive landscape, industry outlook, and opportunities for future growth.
The result is a practical, market-based assessment designed to help business owners better understand the potential value of their company and make informed decisions about what comes next.
Why Work With Squizzero, Carp & Associates?
For more than 30 years, Squizzero, Carp & Associates has helped business owners throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island navigate important decisions involving their companies.
We have owned businesses ourselves, not just brokered them. That firsthand experience gives us a practical understanding of the challenges owners face when evaluating their options and preparing for a transition.
We work with a limited number of clients at any given time, allowing us to provide personal attention rather than treating each business as another listing.
Located in North Attleborough, we have established relationships with buyers, lenders, attorneys, and other professionals throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
What Size Businesses Do We Work With?
Our clients typically range from Main Street businesses generating more than $1,000,000 in annual revenue to corporations with revenues up to $50,000,000 requiring mergers and acquisitions services.
We work with business owners across a variety of industries, including but not limited to:
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Distribution
- Childcare
- Automotive
- Technology
- Service businesses
- other privately held businesses
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Ecommerce
A Valuation Can Help You Plan Ahead
You do not have to be ready to sell your business to understand its potential value.
Knowing where your company stands today can help you make better decisions about growth, profitability, operations, succession, and a future sale.
If you are planning to sell several years from now, understanding what buyers may look for can also give you time to address weaknesses and strengthen the business before it goes to market.
A conversation today does not commit you to selling. It simply gives you more information about the business you have spent years building.
What Our Clients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Get clear answers about valuations, business value, comparable sales, financial performance, selling a business, and preparing for a future sale.
Squizzero, Carp & Associates provides complimentary, no-obligation valuations for business owners considering their options. Contact us to discuss your business and learn more about the process.
The timeframe depends on the complexity of the business and the information available for review. After an initial conversation, we can explain what information is needed and what to expect.
We consider financial performance, normalized earnings, comparable business sales, industry conditions, customer concentration, management structure, operations, growth opportunities, and other factors that may influence what buyers are willing to pay.
A valuation provides an informed estimate based on available financial information and current market conditions. The eventual selling price can vary depending on buyer interest, negotiations, financing, transaction structure, and other factors.