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Business Valuations

A defensible number, and a report that explains how it was reached — which is what makes it survive the other side’s review.

Overview

Valuation reports are read by people looking for reasons to disagree: a purchaser, an opposing solicitor, a departing shareholder, a court. The figure matters, but the reasoning is what holds up. We set out the method, the inputs, the adjustments and the assumptions plainly enough that a reader can follow them and challenge them.

We prepare valuations for sale and purchase, due diligence, family law proceedings, shareholder exits and disputes, corporate restructures and tax positions requiring market value.

Scope

Methods we use

Capitalisation of future maintainable earnings
The common approach for established, profitable trading businesses — with normalisation adjustments spelled out rather than buried.
Discounted cash flow
Where earnings are expected to change materially, or the business has a finite life or a defined project horizon.
Net asset backing
For asset-heavy entities, holding structures and businesses valued on an orderly realisation basis.
Market and rule-of-thumb cross-checks
Comparable transactions and industry multiples, used to sanity-check a primary method — never as the method itself.

Process

What you receive

Scoping

Purpose, valuation date, standard of value and the level of report the situation requires — these change the answer, so they’re agreed in writing first.

Information and normalisation

Financials, contracts, leases and structure, with owner-related and one-off items adjusted out.

Analysis

Method selection, inputs, risk and comparability assessment, and the discounts or premiums applied.

Report

A written report setting out the conclusion, the reasoning and the assumptions and limitations behind it.

Questions

Common questions

Do you prepare reports for family law matters?

Yes. Valuations prepared for family law proceedings are written to meet the court’s expert evidence requirements, including the expert’s duty to the court and disclosure of instructions and assumptions.

How long does a valuation take?

Typically two to four weeks from receiving a complete information set, depending on the complexity of the business and the level of report required. Urgent timetables are sometimes possible — ask.

Can you value a business that’s losing money?

Yes, though the method changes. Loss-making businesses are often valued on net assets or an orderly realisation basis rather than on earnings, and the report says so and explains why.

Talk it through before you commit to anything.

Tell us the situation and the deadline. We'll tell you what's involved, what it costs and whether it's us you need.