Most small business owners have only a vague idea of what their businesses is really worth. And most of the ones who think they know are probably wrong. Professional appraisers who regularly conduct business valuations say that owners err on both sides. Some fail to include intangible assets in their estimate and undervalue what they've built. Others think their businesses are worth much more than reality would dictate. Even if your company isn't required to have a valuation, it is still important to the future of the business to know what it's worth.
Business owners often bring in an appraiser to prepare for a purchase, a merger or an employee stock ownership plan. Or a valuation might be needed for estate and gift tax returns, buy-sell agreements, litigation, tax challenges, divorce or many other purposes. Here are four more reasons to perform a business valuation: