You’ll Make Better Decisions When You Know Its Value Why did you go into business for yourself? Was it to provide for your family? To do something you love? To control your own destiny? Those are probably all true to an extent; but more than anything, you should be in business to increase its value. Business owners typically have 50 to 70 percent of their net worth tied up in their business – that’s a huge piece of your nest egg. A business valuation tells you how much your b

As anyone who has watched the ABC reality-TV competition "Shark Tank" knows, figuring out the magic number of a business's value can make — or a break — a deal. Accurately valuing a business, just like any property appraisal, requires both art and science. “A valuation is both quantitative and subjective," said Edward Nelling, author of "Business Valuation Demystified" and a professor of finance at Drexel University. Why It Matters Prepping for a sale is the most obvious reas

Most business owners want to sell their company for the highest possible price — so it can be a shock to find out that their business isn’t worth as much as they think. Companies are more willing to pay a higher premium if there’s a clear road map to achieving higher returns down the line. Often, it’s similar to selling a house — homeowners sometimes believe their abode will go for more than it does. Why? Because they are emotionally invested in their asset. “Business owners