Business Valuations with Clarity, Credibility, and Practical Guidance
Whether you are selling a business, resolving a dispute, planning for succession, raising capital, or preparing for legal proceedings, a credible valuation helps you move forward with greater confidence.
Why a Business Valuation Matters
A well prepared valuation can help bring clarity to negotiations, support better decision making, reduce unrealistic expectations, and provide a stronger basis for discussions involving buyers, lenders, investors, attorneys, accountants, courts, or tax authorities.
Sale Planning
Understand what the market may pay and approach a sale with a more realistic strategy.
Internal Ownership Matters
Useful for partner disputes, buyouts, shareholder matters, and ownership restructuring
Capital & Planning Needs
Helpful when raising bank financing, investor equity, or making long term planning decisions.
Legal & Tax Support
Important when value may need to stand up in negotiations, formal review, IRS matters, or litigation.
Choose the Right Valuation Path
Not every situation requires the same level of depth, documentation, or cost. That is why the page should clearly separate complimentary guidance for sale planning from more formal valuation work that may be needed for disputes, legal matters, third party reliance, or more complex circumstances.
Starting at $4,800
Valuation Report
Informational
Best for owners who need a more developed written valuation for planning, negotiations, internal decision making, or early stage strategy.
Broker Opinion of Value
Complimentary
Best for owners considering a sale who want a realistic value range and listing guidance.
Starting at $9,500
Valuation Report
Certified
Best for situations involving higher scrutiny, third party reliance, disputes, legal proceedings, tax reporting, or more complex businesses.
Complimentary Broker Opinion of Value
This option is designed for business owners who are considering a sale and want a practical, market oriented discussion about likely value range, possible listing strategy, and how buyers may view the business. It is the right starting point for owners who are not yet looking for a full formal report but want a realistic conversation about what their business may be worth in the market.
- Owners considering selling in the near term
- Early stage exit planning for legacy protection
- Initial pricing guidance for internal discussions
- Understanding likely market range and multipliers
Investment Cost
No Fee
The first step to a successful exit is knowing where you stand today.
Formal Business Valuation Reports
For situations that require more support, more documentation, or a valuation that may be reviewed by third parties, we offer formal report options with deeper analysis and stronger written support.
Informational Valuation Reports
These are less time intensive and more affordable than certified reports, while still providing meaningful guidance for planning, negotiations, and internal decision making.
- Exit planning
- Internal planning
- Early stage capital discussions
Certified Valuation Reports
These are more detailed reports intended for situations where the valuation may face a higher level of scrutiny or need to be presented to third parties. They are better suited for legal matters, disputes, tax related situations, and other circumstances where a stronger written analysis is needed.
- Divorce matters
- Partner disputes
- IRS and tax related situations
- Complex businesses requiring a deeper level of support
- Shareholder buyouts
- Litigation support
- Raising capital where a more formal report is needed
Owners who want more depth than a Broker Opinion of Value but do not need a fully certified report
Informational Valuation Reports
Starting at $4,800
These are less time intensive and more affordable than certified reports, while still providing meaningful guidance for planning, negotiations, and internal decision making.
- Exit planning
- Internal planning
- Negotiation support
- Early stage capital discussions
Certified Valuation Reports
Starting at $9,500
These are more detailed reports intended for situations where the valuation may face a higher level of scrutiny or need to be presented to third parties.
- Divorce matters
- Partner disputes
- IRS and tax related situations
- Complex businesses requiring a deeper level of support
- Shareholder buyouts
- Litigation support
- Raising capital where a more formal report is needed
Expert Witness and Litigation Related Valuation Support
Some matters require more than a general valuation discussion. In situations involving litigation, ownership disputes, divorce, or other contested matters, clients may also need expert witness support or valuation work tied to legal proceedings.
If the situation involves expert witness, possible testimony, or a valuation that is likely to face substantial scrutiny, the best next step is to contact our team directly so the proper scope of work can be discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Broker Opinion of Value and a formal valuation report?
A Broker Opinion of Value is a practical, market-oriented estimate of what your business may be worth in the current market. It is typically most useful for business owners who are considering a sale and want to understand where they stand before making a decision.
For qualified business owners considering a sale, Capital Business Brokerage can provide a Broker Opinion of Value at no cost. It is not meant to be a court-ready or tax-ready valuation report. It is meant to help owners understand realistic market value, likely buyer expectations, and whether a sale may make sense.
A formal valuation report is more detailed and is usually better suited for larger businesses, partner disputes, divorce, litigation, estate planning, tax matters, shareholder issues, capital raising, or situations where a third party may rely on the valuation.
In plain English: a Broker Opinion of Value helps you understand the market. A formal report is built for situations where the analysis may need more documentation, support, and third-party review.
Which valuation option is right for me?
If you are thinking about selling a small or Main Street business, a no-cost Broker Opinion of Value may be the best starting point. It can help you understand what your business may realistically be worth without paying for a formal report you may not need.
For larger businesses, we often recommend getting a formal valuation report, especially if the financials are more complex, there are multiple owners, there is real estate involved, the company has significant management structure, or the owner wants a more detailed review before going to market. That said, a formal report is still not always required to sell a business.
The right option depends on your purpose. Selling, planning, partner disputes, litigation, divorce, estate planning, and tax matters may all require different levels of valuation support.
You do not need to guess. We can help you determine which valuation route makes sense before you spend money on something that may be overkill.
How much does a business valuation cost?
For qualified business owners considering a sale, a Broker Opinion of Value may be provided at no cost.
Formal valuation reports start at $4,500 and go up from there depending on the size, complexity, purpose, industry, available financial records, and level of support required.
Certified valuation reports are typically the highest-cost option because they require a deeper level of analysis, documentation, professional support, and defensibility.
The best valuation option depends on what you need it for. If you are simply trying to understand whether selling makes sense, you may not need the most expensive report. No need to bring a fire truck to blow out a candle.
How long does a valuation take?
Timing depends on the type of valuation and the quality of the information provided.
For a Broker Opinion of Value, we can typically provide feedback within approximately five to seven business days after receiving the information needed.
For a formal valuation report, the timeline is usually closer to two to three weeks, depending on the complexity of the business and how quickly supporting documents are provided.
Expedited reports may be available in some cases. If a faster turnaround is needed, we may be able to complete the report within approximately one week for an additional cost.
What information is needed for a valuation?
Commonly requested information includes tax returns, profit and loss statements, balance sheets, payroll details, owner compensation, add-backs, lease or real estate information, equipment lists, customer concentration, employee structure, revenue trends, debt information, and details about operations and growth opportunities.
For many businesses, tax returns and financial statements are the starting point. From there, we look at the story behind the numbers.
A clean set of documents makes the process much smoother. If the records are messy, that does not automatically mean the business has no value, but it may take more work to understand and support the numbers.
Is a valuation the same as the final selling price?
No. A valuation is an informed opinion, not a guaranteed sale price.
The final selling price depends on buyer demand, financing, deal structure, due diligence, market conditions, negotiation, and the perceived risk of the business.
A valuation can help establish a realistic range and pricing strategy, but the market ultimately has a vote. And the market can be brutally honest, like a toddler with a calculator.
Can a valuation help if I am not ready to sell yet?
Yes. A valuation can help an owner understand where the business stands today, what drives value, what may reduce value, and what improvements could make the business more attractive in the future.
This can be especially helpful if you are thinking about selling in the next few years. You may discover that a few improvements in financial reporting, staffing, systems, customer concentration, or owner involvement could make the business more valuable and easier to transfer later.
It is better to learn those things early than to find out after you are already tired, rushed, and ready to be done.
Can a valuation be used for divorce, litigation, or partner disputes?
Yes, but those situations usually require a more formal and defensible valuation report rather than a simple sale-oriented Broker Opinion of Value.
If attorneys, courts, tax authorities, shareholders, partners, or opposing parties may review the valuation, the scope and standard of work matter. A no-cost market opinion may be useful as a starting point, but it is generally not designed to replace a formal report in a disputed or legal setting.
In those situations, the valuation needs to be built like it may be questioned, because it probably will be.
What situations usually require a certified valuation report?
Certified valuation reports are usually more appropriate for litigation, divorce, shareholder disputes, partner buyouts, IRS or tax matters, estate planning, capital raising, or other situations involving third-party scrutiny.
A certified report provides a deeper level of analysis and support than a general market discussion or Broker Opinion of Value.
If the valuation may end up in front of attorneys, courts, tax professionals, business partners, shareholders, or other formal reviewers, a certified report may be the more appropriate option.
Can a valuation help with raising capital or financing?
Yes. A valuation can help owners, investors, lenders, and potential partners understand value, ownership percentages, equity discussions, lending considerations, and deal structure.
However, lenders and investors may still perform their own underwriting and analysis. A valuation can support the conversation, but it does not force a lender or investor to agree with the number.
A good valuation can give the discussion a serious foundation instead of everyone just throwing numbers around like confetti.
Do I need a valuation before speaking with buyers?
You should have a realistic understanding of value before serious buyer conversations begin.
Without that, it is easy to price too high, price too low, lose credibility, or negotiate from a weak position. If a buyer is more prepared than the seller, the seller may end up reacting instead of leading.
The right valuation approach depends on the situation. For many Main Street businesses, a Broker Opinion of Value may be enough to start. For larger or more complex businesses, a formal report or deeper financial preparation may be helpful before approaching buyers.
Start With the Right Valuation Conversation
Whether you are preparing to sell, resolving a dispute, planning for succession, raising capital, or dealing with a legal matter, the right valuation can protect you from bad assumptions, weak positioning, and unnecessary risk.
Start with a complimentary Broker Opinion of Value if you are considering a sale, or contact us directly to discuss a more formal valuation engagement.