As a business owner, it might hard to envision a period when you do not report to your company in the morning. However, there is a reality in the business world where, at times, the circumstances for you to sell your business will present themselves whether you are prepared or not. Have you ever found yourself in that situation and asked yourself ‘what would be the most profitable time to sell my business?’ This feature is dedicated to helping you understand the personal, business and industry considerations that you need to factor in to determine the right time to say ‘I can now sell my business.’

It is usually tempting for business owners, potential buyers and even prospective investors to get a quick estimate for the value of a business. An owner would want a quick solution if there is an urgent need for money, whereas investors and prospective buyers would be interested in owning the company as fast as possible. During such times, it becomes easy to turn to an online business value calculator to speed up the estimation process. Though quick, online business value calculators will not give you the same benefits as professional valuers. This is not the only drawback that comes with using a business value calculator on the web.

You might want to own a business at one point or the other for different reasons. It could be that you have always wanted to own a firm for the sake of it. Many people found companies simply because it is their dream to found one. Others do it for financial independence. No matter the reason for starting a business, the most common way to come into the ownership of an enterprise is to start one yourself, in which case you are responsible for the business from scratch. However, when you are looking to buy a company from another party, one of the considerations you have to make is the worth of that business. How much should you spend on buying a company? If you are not sure, read these four ways you can use to value a small business for purchase.

At the time of retiring the average business owner in Australia does not have a funded pension beyond what they have set aside in their own and their spouse’s Superannuation; most will have a personal residence that has only recently had the mortgage paid off and less will have a significant investment portfolio. Remember, these are averages so your circumstances may be better or worse off. In many situations the family business will be the most significant financial asset available to provide for the owner’s retirement years. You should be asking yourself several questions, but are you ...

The question of how much a business is worth will always come up at one point or another. That is a universal fact for all business owners. Regardless of the size, enterprises will always be held accountable for their performance and worth by their stakeholders and in some cases, even by potential owners. Informal business valuations, where a firm owner considers the firm’s market cap, income or asset value in determining the firm’s worth are generally acceptable valuations when dealing with minor business agreements. However, if you’re looking for investors for your business, getting an independent valuation is an ideal way to value your business. But how do businesses get formal valuations from independent appraisers? We look at how to do that here.