Business and Professional Practice Valuation

What is your business or professional practice worth? That is a question which many business owners face for a variety of reasons. The reason for appraising a business or professional practice will have a substantial impact upon its value. For example, a business valued for purposes of succession planning (estate and gift taxation) can be substantially different than the value determined for purposes of a divorce, even if the valuation dates are the same. Because standards of value and the applicable guidelines governing the valuation of a business or professional practice can be different depending upon the reason for a business valuation, identical ownership interests can have a substantial difference in value.The intrinsic characteristics of the ownership interest being valued, such as the history and background of the business, the size, complexity, and growth expectations of the business and its industry, and the degree of control embodied in the interest being valued, all impact the final determination of value.

Careful financial analysis, business experience, and a thorough understanding of the entity being valued are essential to formulating an opinion of value for a business or professional practice. Because each business is unique, simple formulas or rules of thumb will not capture the true value of a business or professional practice and, therefore, do not allow the owner to truly understand what his or her interest is worth.

At Gold Meltzer Plasky & Wise, experienced and credentialed business valuation professionals will apply their expertise, objectivity, and business knowledge in valuing your business. In addition to years of hands-on and practical experience in valuing businesses, our valuation experts have lectured and taught other valuation professionals on a local, regional, and national basis. They have taught business valuation and forensic accounting topics at national conferences for accountants and lawyers. They have also taught business valuation principles to the Judiciary at state judicial colleges. Our appraisers have earned the designation of Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) offered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, are members of national business valuation organizations, and have been qualified as experts in business valuation and litigation support services by federal and state courts. Our experience in business valuation, consulting, and tax and accounting services applies to large and small businesses in virtually every industry, including wholesale/distribution, manufacturing, professional services, construction, and retail enterprises.

Our knowledge and experience in business valuation has allowed us to service clients by valuing their businesses for a number of reasons, including:

• Succession planning (estate and gift tax planning and compliance)
• Divorce
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Stockholder/partnership disputes and litigation
• Damage and lost profits computations
• Buy/sell agreements
• Stockholder/partnership admissions and withdrawals

When the time comes to value your business or professional practice, rely upon the skilled and objective opinions of the valuation experts at GMPW. For more information, contact any of the following individuals:

• Donald J. DeGrazia, CPA, ABV – DDeGrazia@gmpw.com
• Stanton L. Meltzer, CPA, ABV – SMeltzer@gmpw.com
• Sharon J. Bishop, CPA, ABV – SBishop@gmpw.com
• Stacey D. Udell, CPA, ABV – SDUdell@gmpw.com